Still Swingin'
by xBlackxRosexRebellionx
Summary: In the middle of the zombie apocalypse, Daryl discovers that a long-lost, childhood friend of his is still alive. She and her sister stumble onto the prison where Daryl and the others are holed up. But some things have changed. Ana's not the same girl she used to be. Will they be able to reconnect or will it only result in chaos? And what will the rest of the group think of her?
1. Chapter 1 - First Impressions

**Author's Note:**** Hey, guys! So this is one of the two Walking Dead fanfictions I've got on here. The other is just a one shot. And yes, I'm partial to Daryl. How can you NOT love Daryl Dixon? I know that some things are off in this story compared to the show – when I started writing it, I hadn't seen more than the first season of the show and I still have yet to see all of season three. But I'm getting there, slowly but surely. So some things are off, when compared to the show. I'm not one to rewrite episodes and throw in a new character of my own. I like to veer off from the path. But I did try to keep the characters I used from the show as close to the real-deal as possible – personality wise. So I hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter 1: First Impressions Last the Longest**

_**~*Ana*~**_

Annalise Spenser sighed to herself as she and her sister, Belladona, rode through the woods. The birds were singing and the sun was shining brightly, the rays slipping through the leaves of the trees and spilling over them as they rode along on their horses. She felt the slight sway of her hips as the black mare moved beneath her. She had one hand rested on the saddle horn, the reins resting between the saddle horn and her hand. She brought her other hand up to run it through her long, wavy, brown hair.

Ana had been on the run with her sister for the past 2 weeks, catching a few hours of sleep here and there when she just couldn't keep her eyes open and watching over her sister while she slept. Ana didn't sleep well anyway so her powernaps kept her going. And the girls had just stocked up a couple days ago after they'd stumbled onto a small town and raided one of the local gas stations and a police station. Cop shops had better weapons than any of the old farm houses the girls had raided and they had more ammo on site too.

The girls had three horses, one for each of them to ride and one to use as a pack horse to help carry their weapons, ammunition, belongings, and provisions. Ana just wished that they could find a place to settle down for a couple days before moving on again. Sleeping in the woods was doable. But that didn't make it safe. And they could've done with a couple days' worth of decent sleep and a place to wash up.

"Jesus! I can smell ya from here!" she heard her younger sister's voice tease, knowing that she was trying to lighten the mood since Ana had grown silent again.

Ana bit her bottom lip. She couldn't think about what had happened. The memories would all catch up to her and drag her down, kick her ass, if she paused to catch her breath.

She closed her eyes for a couple moments, letting the black mare she was riding navigate her way through the woods on her own.

When Ana opened her eyes again, she reached one hand up to brush away the tears that had escaped from the corners of her eyes and gave a tiny sniff, nodding to herself. She couldn't think about Allie or Aiden. She had to keep going, had to keep fighting, no matter how hard it was. Bella would've flipped shit had she known Ana was contemplating giving up, even if it was only briefly. Bella would've chewed her ass royally and then KICKED her ass. No. Bella would want her to keep on going. She wouldn't let her to give up without a fight. And Ana wouldn't leave her sister to fend for herself.

"Stop that shit," Bella scolded her, "You're thinkin' about them again. Now stop it."

"It's SO hard, Bella," Ana murmured quietly, her voice soft and broken.

"Well suck it up," Bella told her, "'Cuz that little girl wouldn't want you ta give up and neither would he. You did EVERYTHING you could for them."

But Ana's thoughts were cast aside and she reined her horse in as she came to the end of the tree line. She gasped, her hazel eyes taking in the sight before her.

"Not bad, huh?" Bella commented from beside her on her own horse, a smirk curling at her lips.

Ana looked over at her sister and then back down at the sight before them, giving a smile of her own.

There, just a few hundred yards away, was a prison. And it was surrounded by a chain-link fence, barbwire at the top. The buildings within the yard looked sturdy and secure. That was safety. That was shelter. THAT was where they would call home for the next couple days.

"Just 'til we get back on our feet?" Bella asked her.

Ana nodded and agreed, "Just 'til we get back on our feet. That's the safest place for us ta be right now, inside that fence."

Bella nodded and then informed her, "But we've got some fuckin' house cleanin' ta do first. Look at those fuckin' things, shufflin' around outside the fence down there."

Ana sighed and nodded. Her sister was right. There was a fairly decent-sized horde of zombies gathered around the fence down there.

"Check your gun," Ana told her, "You have enough ammo?"

Both girls slipped their shotguns out of the holster on their saddles. They checked their guns to make sure that they were loaded and had plenty of ammunition before they nodded to each other, snapping their guns shut again.

_Blow Me Away by Breaking Benjamin_

"Let's fuckin' do this," Bella said.

Ana reached down to pat her trusty mare on the neck before giving another nod to her sister. Both girls nudged their horses in the sides with their boots, crying, "Ha!"

The horses broke out into a gallop and the girls flipped the safety off of their guns, charging down the hill and towards the prison gates.

Bella took the first shot, blasting a zombie clear off its feet and sending it flying back onto the ground a few feet away before Ana took its head off. They worked as a team, taking out only the zombies that got too close for their comfort or stood in their way to getting to those gates. No way in hell were they wasting their ammo. You never knew when you'd need it.

The zombies gave their unearthly shrieks and groans, rushing towards them from the front and even as the ones behind them chased after them. They came from all sides, their arms outstretched and their greedy, disgusting, stench-ridden mouths open.

Bella blew one's head clean off and Ana caught another one as it tried to lunge at the horse her sister was riding. Bella took another one out that had stopped right in their path. She continued blasting away zombies that were blocking their way or coming after her horse while Ana shot the ones that were coming after the horse she was on or their pack horse. The horses jumped over the bodies of the dead as they fell.

"I'll cover your ass while you get that fucking gate open," Bella informed Ana, who nodded and sped her horse up into an all-out sprint and surged around her and ahead of her for the gate.

Both girls knew that Bella had a better shot than Ana. While Ana could shoot well enough, she wasn't the marksman Bella was.

Ana slowed her mare down as she drew closer, she and Bella both taking out the zombies that stood between them and their newfound safety.

When Ana reached the gate, she found a large, sturdy padlock on it and her brown brows wrinkled in confusion. But she didn't have time to waste so she slid out of the saddle and reached into one of her saddle bags for her lock pick and worked the lock open. A zombie snarled and she slipped a knife from the sheath at her right hip, turning just in time to bury the blade in the zombie's forehead and twist. Its legs wobbled and she yanked the knife out even as the zombie collapsed onto the ground in front of her. She quickly wiped the blade on her jeans and slipped it back into its sheath.

She opened the gate and smacked the horse she'd been riding on the rump, urging it through the gate so that their pack horse, whose reins were tied to her mare's saddle horn, would follow and make way for Bella and her horse. Once Bella's horse was inside, Ana was quick to close the gate again and put the padlock back into place, closing it tight and jumping back, just as a wave of zombies lunged at the gate.

Ana walked over to her horse and climbed back into the saddle, urging the mare into a walk and heading through the maze of fencing, leading the pack horse and her sister's horse down the gravel pathways to the actual prison itself.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" she heard a male voice shout, making her jump as she and Bella both reined their horses in, their eyes roaming around the grounds even as they lifted one hand up to shield their eyes from the bright, Georgia sun.

"Tower," Bella told her sister, pointing to one of the watch towers there at the prison.

"That was pretty damn impressive," they heard a second male voice call out, this one coming from one of the entrances of the prison itself.

Ana took in the appearances of both men. The one in the tower had dark hair and he seemed tall, lanky. But she couldn't tell what his features looked like from that distance. He was holding a shotgun and the one standing at the entrance of the prison, crossbow slung over one shoulder, had shaggy, brown hair. He was closer so she could see his features. He had piercing, blue-gray eyes and slender cheeks. His features were rugged, masculine. He also had a mustache, goatee, and small beard on just his chin. He was wearing black jeans with a hole in each knee of his pants. He wore a sleeveless shirt that showed off sun-bronzed skin. He was probably about 5'10" and he had a lean build but he was still muscular in a rugged kind of way that hinted at plenty of manual labor.

"Drop the guns!" the one from the tower called to them.

"Fuck that," Bella said as Ana saw her younger sister tighten her grip on the shotgun she had in her hand.

"Bella…" Ana cautioned, her voice carrying a clear warning.

"No. We just took on at LEAST a dozen fuckin' undead creeps and the bastard expects me ta drop my fuckin' gun for TWO human guys? No way, man," Bella replied.

"I'm quicker," the guy at the entrance stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "And the 'BASTARD' up there in that tower was a fuckin' sheriff. So I'd suggest ya flip the safety on that gun and drop it."

Ana held one of her hands up slowly and told both men, "I'm just gonna flip the safety on and drop my gun. We don't mean either of you any harm. We were just lookin' for a place ta stay for a couple days. Three days tops. Then we're gone. We've got weapons, ammo, and provisions we can share with you in the saddle bags and-,"

"Ana!" Bella growled, "Shut the FUCK up! Don't tell them that-,"

But the man with the crossbow was already coming over to the horse Ana was riding and reaching up to gently ease the shotgun out of her lap and flip the safety on. She let him, giving him a nod, and Bella gave a growl.

"You're fuckin' stupid," Bella snapped at her, glaring at her with those dark brown eyes.

"I'm tryin' ta make sure we get outta this ALIVE," Ana remarked, glaring right back at her with her own hazel ones.

The man started to open one of the saddle bags on their pack horse and Ana said, "Take whatever you want."

"What the fuck are you-," Bella started to snarl.

But Ana cut her off, cutting her a sharp glare and reminding her, "We can always make another raid after we get outta here. I wanna make sure we get ta leave in one fucking piece. ALIVE."

Bella gave a loud, annoyed sigh and Ana gave her an annoyed expression of her own.

The man from the tower had jogged down the stairs and was now heading across the yard towards them. He had a police uniform on and Ana found that he had blue eyes and stubble covering his cheeks. His hair was kind of wavy and he had a tall, lanky figure.

"We're not gonna hurt ya," he assured the girls, "But I'm gonna need you ta hand over the gun."

He was eyeing Bella warily and the 16 year old spitfire opened her big mouth to spout something smart off but Ana growled at her in a harsh tone, "Give him the goddamn gun, Bella. NOW. Before ya go and get us both killed."

"I'll kill him first," Bella commented.

"No one's killin' anyone," the man in the police uniform said, gazing up at Bella as he slowly reached out for her gun.

Bella heaved another loud sigh but finally handed her gun over. Ana gave a sigh of relief and nodded.

"They've got the mother lode, Rick," the man with the shaggy hair informed the other one.

"Take it," Ana told the man, "Take whatever you want."

"Goddamn it, Ana!" Bella snapped, "What? You gonna start offerin' your pussy too, just ta make 'em happy?"

Ana gasped, her hazel eyes growing real wide. She'd never been more offended in her life! And by her OWN damn sister.

Ana cast her a fierce glare but didn't say anything. She just stared straight ahead, glaring. Ana wasn't like that. She'd NEVER been a slut. Sure, she had some experience but it had only been with one man. And, honestly, she was still a virgin.

"Could we get some water for the horses?" Ana finally asked, feeling both men staring at her and her sister.

"While you're at it, why don't ya-," Bella started to say before Ana's head whipped around and she glared at her.

"Shut your fucking mouth," Ana interrupted her, her voice eerily calm and quiet.

"I'll show you to it," the man called Rick stated, gesturing with a wave of his hand for Ana to follow him, "Daryl, you stay with the other one."

Ana slid off her horse but froze as she heard the man called Rick say the other man's name.

"What did you say his name was?" she questioned.

"Daryl," Rick answered even as the other man said, "Daryl Dixon."

Ana gasped, slowly turning to face Daryl with her eyes growing real wide and filling with tears. She'd thought those features had looked AWFUL familiar. Now, as she let her eyes roam over his face again, taking in every little detail, she knew why.

"Daryl?" she asked, her heart racing and her lungs struggling to get any air, "Oh my God! Is that really you?"

"Have we met before?" he asked her, his brows wrinkling with confusion as he eased his head back away from her a bit and studied her closely, "'Cuz I sure as shit don't remember you."

"You might suffer…" she said, her voice soft and quiet before she held her breath and waited to see if he'd reply.

She saw the look on his face change from one of pure confusion to one of surprise, those beautiful, blue-gray eyes widening before he finished, "But you're never alone…"

She gave a wobbly smiled and nodded, letting out the breath she'd been holding.

The tears started to pour down her face as she tapped a finger over her chest and added, "I'm in here…"

He dropped his crossbow onto the ground and tapped his temple with his index finger, finishing, "And in here…"

She ran for him and jumped. He caught her in his arms, holding her up by her ass as she wrapped her legs tight around his waist and looped her arms around his neck. She pressed kisses all over his face, soaking him with her tears as she sobbed.

"Oh my GOD!" she cried, "I never thought I'd see you again!"

"Good Lord, it's been what…? 10 years?" Daryl asked her.

She nodded and he set her down on the ground. But she was quick to tug him into another fierce hug, burying her face in his firm chest and taking a deep breath, smiling as his scent filled her nose.

"You know her?" Rick asked when Ana finally pulled back from Daryl.

Daryl kept one arm draped over her shoulders as he nodded and explained, "This is my best friend. I grew up with her. This is Annalise Spenser. So that means that that spitfire up there is her little sister, Belladona."

"It's Bella, ya dumbshit," Bella snapped.

But Ana didn't miss the grin on her sister's face.

"Call me dumb ONE more time and I'll kick your ass," Daryl razzed, "Now get off that horse and help your sister fetch some water for these horses. We've gotta get this tack off of 'em and get all these saddle bags unloaded. You'll get ta meet the rest of our group."

"Group?" Bella questioned.

"Yeah," Daryl replied, "We've got ourselves a little group camped out in there."

10 minutes later and Bella was helping Daryl and Rick empty the saddle bags onto a set of bleachers closest to one of the entrances of the prison while the other members of the group slowly filed out of the prison to come see who the newcomers were.

Bella was emptying out the saddle bags with the feminine products, the clothes, and the First-Aid kit. Rick sifted through the drinks, jerky, and munchies. Daryl sorted through the ammunition and weapons.

"Good LORD!" Daryl cried before rattling off the weapons that the girls had had stashed, "A huntin' knife, a carvin' knife, a skinnin' knife, a dagger, a Bowie knife, a .45, a Beretta. PLUS you've both got shotguns. And you took a walker out with a damn knife ya had on ya. Where the hell ya come up with all this shit?"

"A cop shop," Bella answered.

"Cop shop?" Rick questioned.

"A police station, stupid," Bella stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Bella," Ana scolded, "Let's not forget that they're lettin' us stay, even if it's only for a couple days."

"Well you guys grabbed some good stuff," Rick commented.

"The knives didn't need ammo," Bella replied, "Seemed like the smart thing ta do. And we couldn't go luggin' a whole damn bag of guns around. So we grabbed what had the most ammo for them and split."

"And the food?" Rick questioned.

"We raided a gas station in the same town," Ana answered.

He nodded and Daryl commented, "Ya got plenty ta pick from too. Looks like ya grabbed the good stuff."

Ana pouted and said, "Too bad we couldn't take any chocolate."

Daryl just chuckled and Ana heard the women give a sigh at the mention of such a delicacy.

She cast her eyes over to the rest of the group again. She found that all of their eyes moved from her to Bella to the items Bella, Rick, and Daryl kept pulling out of the bags.

She offered them a smile as she stood over by the horses. Daryl had helped her remove their bridles, saddle pads, and saddles so that he, Rick, and Bella could go through the saddle bags and Rick had fetched 3 buckets, one for each of the horses. She'd filled the buckets up with water and had brought them out of the building, leading the horses over to a shaded area and making kissing noises to coax the horses into following her.

Ana saw Daryl steal another glance over at her and she grinned at him. He winked at her and she laughed before returning her attention to the horses. She took her turn with each of them, doting on them and dealing out affection. She kissed their soft muzzles and scratched behind their ears. She ran a hand down their forehead or patted their neck.

"Whaddya think of your new home, huh, guys?" she asked them, "Look at all that GRASS. And I'll make sure you've got plenty of water. You'll get PLENTY of exercise this way but you'll be safe and sound behind these fences. Ya won't have a care in the world for the next couple days."

"Forget that couple days bit," Daryl chided, "You're welcome here as long as we're here. You should join the group. Permanently."

Her eyes darted to the group, who all eyed her suspiciously, and she was quick to tell him, "Daryl, I don't think we could do that."

"Why the hell not?" he asked, pausing in digging through the saddle bag he was currently working on emptying to look up at her.

He trained those intense, blue-gray eyes on her and she pointed out, "Your people don't know us. I'm sure they'll be uncomfortable with Bella and I hangin' around here all the time."

Daryl looked over to Rick and Rick shook his head, commenting, "Nah. I saw the way you two rode down that hill ta get here. I saw the way you came in, guns blazin'. You'll fit right in with our group. We'd LOVE ta have ya."

Ana looked over at the others again. She'd learned all of their names. There was Glenn and his girlfriend, Maggie. There was Maggie's father, Hershel, and her sister, Beth. There was a blonde named Andrea and another woman with short, gray hair named Carol. And Rick had two children, a boy that was probably 12 or 13 named Carl and a baby girl named Judith.

Carl slowly and carefully approached Ana, his voice quiet as he asked her, "Can I pet one?"

Ana smiled at him and nodded, motioning him over as she said, "You can pet ALL of them."

He laughed and walked over to stand beside her. The horses hadn't strayed too far after getting their drink and they wandered back over to her to check the boy out, sniffing at him curiously.

The chestnut gelding gave a loud snort and Carl laughed some more, asking, "What was THAT all about? Does he think I smell bad?"

Ana giggled and shook her head, telling the boy, "No. Buddy probably just got somethin' up his nose."

She made a few kissing noises and the horses' heads lifted to look at her expectantly.

She pulled something from her pocket and handed it to the boy. He looked down and found that there were three horse treats.

"The last three I have," she stated.

He smiled up at her and she said, "Now be careful when you offer them to the horses. Hold your hand flat out. Don't curl your fingers or they might get your fingers by accident."

He nodded to her and flattened his hand, placing one of the treats in them and offering it to the black mare.

"Which one is that one?" Carl asked her.

"That's Midnight. She's the mare I usually ride," Ana replied.

"And the one that snorted at me is Buddy?" he questioned, making sure he was getting it right.

"That's right. He's the chestnut colored gelding," Ana informed him, "And the bay mare is Gypsy. She's the sweetest horse you'll ever meet."

The boy smiled and asked, "She's the one your sister rode?"

"Yep. We switch back and forth on whether we use Buddy for a pack horse or a riding horse but when one of us doesn't ride him, we ride our favorite mare. Sis likes Gypsy and I prefer Midnight," Ana explained.

Carl just nodded and asked, "Could I ride one sometime?"

Ana looked over at Rick and he smiled at her, seeing her with his son.

Ana told Carl, "As long as it's okay with your dad. Have you ever ridden before?"

Carl shook his head and Ana commented, "Well we'll have to teach you then, won't we?"

"Who you mean by we?" Bella inquired from the bleachers, "I KNOW you're not talkin' about me."

"Fine. I'LL teach you as long as it's okay with your dad," Ana told the boy, rephrasing her previous statement.

Carl grinned up at her and looked over at his father.

Rick just smiled and nodded to him.

Ana informed the boy, "I'll teach you how to ride on Gypsy. I trust Midnight with my life but she's kind of temperamental with others. Gypsy's very obedient and she loves everyone that will give her attention."

"And Buddy?" Carl asked.

"Buddy's got a bit too much spunk for a beginner," Ana answered, "Not as much as Midnight but he's still kind of peppy for someone that's still learning."

Carl nodded and reached out to run his hand along the side of Gypsy's face and over her soft muzzle after he'd given each of the horses a treat.

"You know how the Indians used to greet their horses?" Ana inquired.

Carl shook his head and she smiled at him, stating, "I'll teach you. You lean down and gently blow into their nostrils. Their nostrils flare and they take in your scent. That's how they can tell that it's their owner, their rider."

Carl leaned in a bit and gently blew into Gypsy's nostrils. The mare's nostrils flared, taking in the scent of his breath as she sniffed at him.

Buddy lifted his upper lip and raised his head, tipping it up towards the sky.

Carl laughed, asking, "What is he DOING?"

"He's smelled something he thinks is interesting," Ana informed him.

"That's a pretty funny face," Carl said, giggling some more.

"Yeah it is," Ana agreed, laughing right along with him.

She heard Rick and the others laughing too.

"You sure know an awful lot about horses. Where did you learn so much?" Carl questioned as he and Ana went over to join Daryl, Bella, and Rick in front of the bleachers.

"She grew up around animals," Daryl told the boy, "Horses, dogs, and cats mostly. She can train 'em and raise 'em. She's the smartest person I know when it comes ta animals. I used ta call her 'the animal whisperer'. She read every book about animals she could get her hands on when we were kids."

Carl smiled up at her and Ana nodded to him, letting him know that it was true.

"She was the best huntin' partner I ever had," Daryl commented.

"You hunt?" Carl questioned.

Ana nodded and replied, "My shot might not be quite as good as Bella's or Daryl's but I'm good at tracking the animals. I can hunt and fish just as well as Daryl can. Daryl's the trapper though, not me. And he's got a perfect shot, like Bella. I can shoot well enough but I'm not quite as good as them."

The boy looked at Daryl and then Bella before finally looking back at Ana.

"She's a DAMN good cook too," Daryl informed the boy, "I'm guessin' she's the one that made this smoked deer jerky."

Ana laughed and nodded.

"Well let's get all this stuff inside," Rick said, "It's about time for lunch."

_**-=Daryl=-**_

Daryl Dixon smiled as he helped the rest of the group carry in what Ana had kept crammed into the saddle bags. They scattered it all out onto the kitchen counter and sorted it out. He smirked to himself when he saw that Ana had had everything she and Bella needed: smoked deer jerky, bottles of water and other drinks, bags of munchies, weapons, ammunition, a First-Aid kit, clothes, and feminine products. The last thing made him scrunch up his face but he knew that the women of the group would be very appreciative.

Daryl looked over at his best friend and nodded to her. She'd done well.

Ana gave him that beautiful, bright smile and he felt a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his own lips. Her smile was contagious. Always had been.

"Well…" he heard Ana say, "Since Rick said it's almost lunch time, why don't we go ahead and fill those bellies? There are enough drinks there for all of us to have one. And if we keep the bottles, we can fill 'em up with water."

Daryl started to reach for one and she smacked his hand away, giving him a little glare as she scolded, "Ah! Children, women, and elderly first. THEN the men. You know the rule."

She looked at the group and motioned Carl up first before telling the women, "You ladies can go next. Don't be shy. Take whatever drink you want. There's enough for all of us there."

Daryl watched as they formed a line. Carl went first. Then there was Beth, Carol, Maggie, and Andrea before Ana let her sister grab a bottle. Hershel followed her and then Daryl got to go after Rick and Glenn before Ana grabbed the last bottle.

Rick and Glenn rationed out the deer jerky and Ana handed a couple bags of munchies out to everyone. They all found a place there in the kitchen, whether it was sitting on one of the countertops or leaning against the counter or the fridge or even the doorframe.

"So you two were just out there on your own?" Rick asked, his voice clearly full of surprise and awe.

"Nah," Bella said, "We lost a couple of 'em."

Ana's eyes met the floor as she ate and she didn't say a word. So Ana had been close to them?

"I'm sorry ta hear that," Rick apologized, "We've all lost someone we're close to."

"I wasn't close to 'em. I never get close to 'em," Bella replied.

Daryl saw Ana shoot her younger sister a glare and Daryl saw Rick cast a glance over in Ana's direction.

"Who did you lose?" Andrea inquired, clearly not having taken the hint.

"Her boyfriend and some little girl," Bella answered between bites.

Ana cast her sister a fierce glare and jumped down off her place on the counter, walking out of the kitchen. Bella just shrugged and reached out to take her sister's food.

"Don't even THINK about it," Daryl growled.

"What? She's not gonna eat it," Bella pointed out.

Daryl glared at the girl and pointed at the doorway Ana had just disappeared through as he ordered, "Go apologize."

Everyone in the room was shocked, their heads all turning to look at him and their eyes growing wide. Daryl wasn't really the apologizing type. He did it through his actions, not his words. But this fucking crossed the line. Whoever it was that Bella and Ana had lost, Ana had been close to them, close enough that their loss had affected her.

"Why? So I can find her cryin'? Nah. I think I'll pass. She doesn't sleep well and she cries sometimes when she thinks I'm asleep. So no thanks. I'll pass on that. I've seen enough of it already," Bella commented.

Daryl's eyes narrowed even further and he growled, "That girl RAISED you. She'd do ANYTHING for you. I know DAMN good and well what you two dealt with growin' up. She'd lay her LIFE down for you. She's kept your ass alive so far, hasn't she? You'd beat the SHIT out of anyone that picked on her but what you just said cut her deep. Now you go fuckin' apologize."

Bella opened her mouth to spout something smart off to him but he snapped, "NOW! And don't you even THINK about givin' me any lip."

She jumped a little and he watched as she glared at him and hopped off the counter.

"She loves you more than life itself. And you just hurt her. And I know you hurt her with your little smart-mouthed comment about spreadin' her legs ta earn your safety around here too. She's not like that and you KNOW it, Bella. So I'd suggest you watch that fuckin' mouth or I'll fix it for ya. And in the future, you start thinkin' before you open that damn trap of yours," he warned.

Bella glared at him as she passed by him and he returned her glare with an even harsher one. He'd be DAMNED if she thought she could intimidate him. NO one scared Daryl Dixon.

Daryl looked up at the rest of the group to find them all staring at him with wide eyes.

"Ana is the strongest damn woman I know. And the sweetest," Daryl said, "You wouldn't believe all the shit she's dealt with. And I won't take her sister givin' her lip. Bella doesn't know the half of the shit Ana's dealt with or all the sacrifices she's made for her. And someone's gotta keep Bella in check or she'll do whatever she damn well pleases. Ana's a GOOD woman. She's got a heart of gold. She puts EVERYONE before herself. And I'm not gonna sit back and let people walk all over her. She'll make a VERY valuable member of this group. As you've already seen, she'll gladly give all that she has to perfect strangers ta help 'em out. She'll help with the cookin' or laundry ta earn her keep with the rest of the women and she'll fight to the death ta protect the members of this group. She'll pitch right in ta help out with the men's jobs too. And she can patch people up or tend to those that are sick. She's there whenever someone has problems. She's a great listener, great at givin' good advice. She'll do WHATEVER it takes ta keep this group safe, ta keep 'em alive and happy, even if it means runnin' herself into the fuckin' ground. So no. I'm not gonna let that shit Bella just pulled fly," Daryl explained, "Ana's always done all right by me."

He looked at the doorway, to where Ana had left, and said quietly, "She's the one person that was always there for me when I was growin' up. I trust her with my life and I'd give my own for her."

The others were completely silent when he left, not wanting to see the pity in their eyes. He couldn't handle that. He couldn't BELIEVE he'd just admitted something like that. God he was such a fucking pussy!

He headed towards the shower room, planning to keep watch for the girls and watch over them. There was only one entrance into the shower room so he'd keep post outside of it and make sure that the girls were safe.

He heard voices coming from inside the shower room and he grit his teeth as he turned his back to the door and stood watch.

"I've done EVERYTHING I could for you," Ana said, her voice low, quiet.

There was a defeated tone to it and Daryl HATED that. She'd ALWAYS been a fighter. She'd ALWAYS been strong.

"I've been there for you EVERY time you needed me. You have NO idea what I went through growing up. You have NO idea what all I sacrificed for you, ta make sure you were safe, that you were healthy, that your needs were met. I'd die for you, Bella, and you know that. I'd give my LIFE for you, without a second's hesitation. And you can't even keep your fuckin' mouth shut for me? Not ONCE?" Ana asked.

"What? You think it's MY fault that that little girl got bit?" Bella questioned, "You think it's MY fault that you had ta kill her? That's not on me, Ana. You left her there ta keep her safe. You and I BOTH know that. You put her first, just like you've always done for everyone else. You tried ta lure the zombies away from her. But when your plan fell through and that place got overrun, you sat up all night. Ya didn't sleep a wink. And then you went in there at the crack of dawn ta go lookin' for her. You found her all right. She was a fuckin' shufflin' creep."

"Don't call her that!" Ana cried, "She had a name!"

"Fine, Ana. Allie was a fuckin' zombie, the walking dead. You weren't gonna kill her either. I know. I followed you. And I slipped into the building and found you staring at her as she shuffled towards you, snarling. I saw you sobbing, your hand shakin' as you pointed the gun at her. I came up to point mine at her head and you lowered my hand. You did it yourself. You said that's what she would've wanted, to be dead rather than shuffling around as one of those things. You said she would've rather you did it than me. And maybe you're right. Maybe you're not. But, either way, she's not sufferin' anymore. She doesn't hafta worry about anything now. She's in a better place. She doesn't hafta be scared or hungry. She's not a brain-dead creep. She's safe. She's where she belongs now," Bella said.

Daryl heard his best friend sob and his chest tightened.

"And Aiden? Aiden went out the way he would've wanted to, Ana. He died ta save your life. He took the fall for you. He always said you were gonna be the death of him and he was right. But he made that choice. He knew that the zombie was gonna take one of you out and he made sure that it was him and not you. So that's not on you. That's on him. And I can promise you that he doesn't fuckin' regret it. You heard his last words ta you. I know you'll never forget 'em either. 'Stay safe. Keep fightin'.' So that's what you're gonna do," Bella finished, "Or his death will have been in vain."

Daryl's jaw clenched again and his nostrils flared as something flared up inside of him. Something he wasn't used to. It was like anger but it was stronger. It was like… jealousy.

Ana didn't say anything. She just sobbed.

"Whatever. I'm gonna go grab some clothes for a shower," Bella told her, heading for the door.

"Grab some for her too," Daryl said to the girl as he moved to let her pass, his back still facing the door of the shower room.

"JESUS!" Bella exclaimed, jumping a little since she clearly hadn't known he was standing there, "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," was his reply.

She sighed and he pointed at her, commenting, "You keep your mouth shut. For her sake."

He pointed at the shower room and Bella nodded. He knew that she could hear her sister crying just as well as he could.

"She's got a fuckin' heart of gold," Daryl pointed out, "And you know as well as I do that if ya lose her, you're fucked. Ya won't be able ta handle it. Sure. You're strong. You're capable of lookin' out for yourself. But who's gonna bail your ass out when times get tough? Who's gonna keep ya from doin' stupid shit and gettin' yourself hurt? Who's gonna be there ta listen to ya when ya need someone ta talk to? Who's gonna be that voice of reason, the one that keeps you pushin' through it all, your reason ta keep fightin'?"

Bella nodded and headed for the kitchen.

Daryl knew that he'd gotten her there. She would've come back with some smartass remark, had she been able to think of anything. But she'd said nothing.

Daryl looked back at the doorway of the shower room and then heard the rustling of clothing. He knew that Ana was stripping down to take a shower so he turned his back to the door again.

_**-=Rick=-**_

Rick Grimes ran a hand down his face and sighed. The group had been ragging on the two sisters ever since Bella and Daryl had left the kitchen. None of them had the guts to say anything when Daryl was around of course. And they were learning that Bella was a hothead herself.

But Rick saw potential in Ana. He'd seen the way that both of the girls had charged down the hill from the woods and slain all those walkers that stood between them and safety. They hadn't hesitated, not even for a second. He hadn't seen such fearlessness in any of the members of the group except for Daryl. And Ana hadn't hesitated to go ahead of her sister and be the one to unlock the gate either, even though it meant taking on more zombies than Bella had. She'd also been the one to lock the gate again, once again, putting herself in harm's way to make sure that their safety was ensured. Then she had been quick to let Daryl take her gun, putting her hands up in surrender and selflessly offering everything the girls had to Daryl and Rick as long as the girls would be safe. While Bella had chewed her ass the whole time, Ana had not backed down and she had stood her ground to even her sister where their safety was concerned.

Then she'd made sure that the horses were taken care of before even the girls were, just like she had put the other members of the group before herself and her sister. She'd shared EVERYTHING they had with the members of the group, even being the one to take the last drink after letting them all pick one first.

He'd pointed ALL of those facts out to the group and, still, they seemed to doubt his judgment.

Finally, he shook his head and spoke again.

"Look… If Daryl trusts this woman, I trust her," Rick informed the rest of the group as they stood in the kitchen, "That man's risked his life for ALL of us. And you might've been wary about him ta start with but he's always been there when we needed him. He's kept us safe and he's kept us alive. He's saved my life and I know he's saved some of yours. Let's not forget that."

"We don't know her," Hershel pointed out.

"You didn't know any of my group when we showed up. But you helped my son. You helped T-Dog. You welcomed us onto your land. And, yeah, I know Shane screwed some things up for ALL of us back at the farm. I know that we've all lost some loved ones. But we're alive. Right here. RIGHT now. And that young woman just offered us EVERYTHING they have. She doesn't even know us and she's given us all food, something to drink. She's offered us weapons and ammunition. She's offered ta help with the cooking and laundry and whatever else needs ta be done around here. She's offered ta help make patrols around the grounds ta make sure no walkers have infiltrated the fence. She's offered ta help keep us SAFE. And I don't know about you but I trust Daryl with my life. I've gotten ta know him better since I first met him and I'll tell ya one thing right now, if HE trusts someone, we can trust 'em. I stand behind him on this. And, if we vote about it, my vote is for the girls to stay. Ana would make a VERY valuable member of our group. Bella could be convinced somehow. We've just gotta figure out how. But I'll give you all one last thing ta think about. We make those girls leave and Daryl's gonna go with 'em. I can PROMISE you that. I've seen the way he looks at Ana, the way he stands up for her. He hasn't even done that for MERLE. Now you keep that in mind before you make your decision."

The others all gave a slow nod. He'd given them a lot to think about. And HE had a lot to sort through himself.

They had two new members of the group, whether they were permanent or temporary. And, while one of them seemed like she'd make a very valuable member of the group, the other one seemed like she'd give them a bit of trouble.

He needed to talk to Daryl. Daryl knew the girls better than anyone. Hell he was the ONLY one that knew about them other than the girls themselves and he had a feeling that he wasn't going to get very useful information out of Bella.

He walked out of the kitchen, running a hand over his face again as he told the group members, "Don't touch anything on that counter. I'll be back. We'll hand everything out then."

He headed down the hall and to the shower room, passing Ana's younger sister on the way. He just nodded to her and she looked at him but kept walking. He turned his head to look back over his shoulder at her as he kept walking.

Yeah. That one was DEFINITELY going to be a problem. But he'd deal with her as calmly and rationally as possible if it meant having another reliable member in the group, Ana.

Rick found Daryl stationed outside the shower room door. Daryl nodded to him, biting the inside of his cheek as he looked at Rick.

"The group members are pretty skeptical of the girls," Rick informed his new second in command.

Daryl had really stepped up. He'd slowly come out of his shell since Rick had first met him. At first, Rick hadn't been much more of a fan of him than he had been of his older brother, Merle. But Daryl wasn't like Merle. Daryl was actually a good man. And he was slowly learning what it was like to become a member of a group, a man that others could rely on, that they could trust. He went out of his way to help the others of the group, to protect them. And Daryl had saved members of that group's lives more times than he could count. Still, Daryl wasn't one to bitch or share his feelings.

Daryl just nodded. He'd apparently known that this talk was coming. And he'd also apparently known that the group was going to be doubtful.

"I tried ta help the girls out by puttin' in my opinions," Rick stated.

"If they turn Bella away, Ana will go with her. She raised that girl, Rick. She's not just a sister to her. She's like a daughter and a best friend too. And yeah, Bella's all sorts of fucked up. I'm not arguin' with anyone on that one. But if we can keep her in line, she'll make a DAMN good security system. She's like a pit bull with a bad attitude. Ya keep your distance at first and learn what it likes and doesn't like. Then ya start ta slowly figure out if you can work with it. If ya can, ya start trainin' it and learn that it can be a very valuable asset. If it bites the hand that feeds it, ya scold it and take away the things it likes 'til it decides ta come around again," Daryl pointed out.

Rick chuckled at the analogy but nodded and Daryl explained, "Bella's only got one weakness. Her sister. Ana on the other hand… She's the BEST damn friend anyone could ever ask for. She's loyal, protective, watchful, honest, kind, caring, attentive, selfless. Hell everything you could ever hope for. And she's ALWAYS been there for me 'til she had ta move away. Shit I was closer ta her than I ever was ta Merle. She's been through hell but she never bitches. You think I had problems?"

He gave a single snort of laughter that lacked any humor and informed Rick, "I'll tell ya this right now: she goes, I go. No questions asked. I didn't even know she was still alive, Rick, or I would've been out there lookin' for her. EVERY damn day."

Rick nodded. He didn't doubt it. He'd seen the look on Daryl's face when he'd realized who Ana was. He'd seen the way Daryl had jumped right in to defend her from the rest of the group when she'd left after Bella's revelation on the losses they'd suffered. There wasn't a DOUBT in his mind that Daryl would follow Ana wherever she went, without a question. If he was closer to Ana than he was to Merle, there was nothing that could separate the two of them now that they were together again. He could only imagine how hard Daryl would've searched for her, the determination and loyalty he would've shown while looking for her, after seeing the way he acted around Ana. The way he'd looked for Sophia every day, even though he hadn't known the girl all that well, would've been NOTHING compared to how Daryl would've acted had he known that Ana was still alive, still out there. Without him. But that led Rick to his next question.

"You and Ana…?" Rick asked hesitantly, "You're not…"

Daryl's brows furrowed in confusion and Rick hesitated, trying to think of the proper way to phrase his question, before finally inquiring, "You were never a couple, were you?"

Daryl gave a little snort-like noise.

"Hell no!" Daryl was quick to answer, "Nah. Ana and I were never like that. We were like brother and sister, the best of friends. We were as close as friends could be without any of the benefits like you were thinkin'. We never dated. We never… did anything. We just looked out for each other. We were there for each other when the shit hit the fan. I'm sure you've figured out by now that life hasn't exactly been easy for me. And it was worse for her."

Daryl gave a little jerk of his head in the direction of the shower room.

Rick's blue eyes widened and Daryl just nodded.

Rick heard someone clear their throat and he glanced back over his shoulder to see Bella standing there with a pile of clothes in her arms. He and Daryl both stepped to the side to let Bella through with the clothes she'd brought back for both of the girls.

Rick nodded to Daryl and patted him on the shoulder, reassuring him, "I'm sure the group will wanna vote but they're good ta stay as far as I'm concerned. We'll hafta figure out some way ta keep Bella in line though."

Daryl nodded, his jaw clenching before he commented, "No one deals with her but you, me, and Ana. She won't listen ta anyone that she doesn't feel has some sort of authority over her. You're the voice of reason, I'm the one that'll threaten her, and Ana's the middle ground that plays both sides."

Rick gave another nod. Daryl was already strategizing a plan. It made Rick smile.

"You can bet your ass that baby will be safe as long as Ana's watchin' over her too," Daryl stated, changing the subject, "She raised her sister from the time she was 5."

Rick's eyes widened in disbelief. That couldn't be.

"I know what you're thinkin'. I'm a damn liar. But I'm not. I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it for myself. She was 5 years old and takin' care of her baby sister. Her mom had the baby blues or whatever and Bella's dad was their mom's third husband. He was a lazy son of a bitch, always sleepin' or watchin' the fuckin' TV when he wasn't at work. So Ana raised her. She was changin' dirty diapers, feedin' the kid bottles, burpin' her, singin' her ta sleep and walkin' around the house all damn night when she fussed 'cuz she had colic. She loves that girl. She'd DIE for her, without so much as a SECOND'S hesitation. She's looked after Bella that girl's whole life. So you can bet your ass that little asskicker's gonna be JUST fine when she's in Ana's care."

Rick nodded slowly, taking it all in.

"You said her mom was married 3 times?" he questioned.

Daryl gave a single snort of laughter that lacked any humor and left it at, "Her mom didn't give a shit about anything but men, money, and herself, just like Ana's old man."

Rick was starting to get the idea that this Ana was like a female version of Daryl. But more open and kinder.

"If you trust her, I trust her," Rick told him, "I trust your judgment."

He saw Daryl's eyes widen in surprise and he patted his shoulder, reminding him, "You're my second in command, remember? My right hand man."

Daryl just stared at him with those blue-gray eyes, blinking a couple times, and Rick walked off, chuckling to himself and shaking his head.

Someday, Daryl would discover just how valuable he was to their group. And Rick hoped that day would come soon.

He knew that the others of the group were still somewhat leery of the younger Dixon brother but he trusted him. With his life.

_**-=Daryl=-**_

_Hold Me Now by Red_

Daryl watched Bella walk out of the shower room and asked, "She almost done?"

Bella just nodded her head but he didn't miss the look in her dark brown eyes. It was pity, sorrow. Two things Bella hardly EVER felt.

Daryl waited for a while longer before finally deciding aloud, "Fuck it."

He stepped into the shower room and asked, "Ana?"

He found her, slumped over in the shower. The water ran down over her naked body as she hunched over, her knees and forehead resting on the ground. She gave a scream and pounded a fist on the floor before sobbing harder.

Daryl felt his chest tighten. He'd hardly EVER seen her cry. And he'd NEVER seen her like this.

"WHY?!" she shouted.

He hurried over to her, slipping his vest off even as he dropped his crossbow onto the floor.

"Ana…" he started as he reached her.

But the words caught in his throat and he couldn't say anything more. She looked so helpless, so broken, hunched over there on the floor.

He jumped back, cursing as the water hit him. It was freezing cold.

"Shit!" he cried before quickly turning the water off and falling to his knees beside her.

He pulled her into his arms and carefully slipped her arms through the holes of his vest, his touch gentle.

She didn't fight him. She just let him hold her, clinging to him tightly as she buried her face into his chest and sobbed helplessly, her body shaking from the cold as well as the sobs that racked her body.

Daryl wrapped her up tight in his arms, dropping a kiss to the top of her head as he ran one hand over her hair and held her close with the other. It felt so weird holding a woman in his arms, having her cling to him. But Ana was the ONLY woman he'd ever held like this.

He knew that she was like him. She let everything build up, just bottling it all up inside, until it eventually got to the point where she couldn't take it anymore and she just snapped. But, instead of taking it out on others like Merle had done or cussing up a storm and kicking something all to hell to let it all out like Daryl did, she broke down.

"Get it out, sweetheart," he crooned softly as he pressed another kiss to the top of her head, "Get it all out."

Daryl didn't offer ANYONE else this luxury, this comfort. He wasn't the affectionate type. But after everything Ana had done for him in his life, he couldn't deny her that and he knew that she'd ALWAYS been there for him whenever he'd needed her, up until her family had moved away 10 years ago, after her 16th birthday. She'd run all the way out to his house just to tell him the night she'd found out. They'd started scheming up all these plans so that she and Bella wouldn't have to leave, so that they could stay and she and Daryl wouldn't have to lose the best friend they'd ever had.

All this time… All this time she'd been OUT there. And he hadn't known. God had he known that she'd been out there, he would've been out there combing the woods searching for her. EVERY fucking day. But he'd had no idea. When the epidemic had broken out and the world had gone to shit, Daryl had had only Merle to turn to. And hell, half the time he couldn't be counted on anyway. But there WAS one thing that Merle could ALWAYS be counted on to do. Look out for Merle.

It had been hard to see at first but Ana had been the one to point it out to him when they'd been 5, after Bella was born and she'd started looking after her.

He wouldn't forget the day she'd asked him, "Would Merle look out for you like I do for her?"

And he honestly couldn't answer her. He hadn't known WHAT Merle would do. But, when her family had moved, leaving in the middle of the night, she had had no way of telling him. All he'd had left of her was a note with dried up tears on it and he was left with the realization that he couldn't lose his brother too.

But now she was back. Ana was RIGHT there in his arms. And he wasn't going to let her slip away again. Not this time. Not until his heart stopped beating.

Her sobs had died down a few minutes ago and she was quiet in his arms. He peered down at her, pulling his head back a bit, and reached one hand up to brush her wet hair out of her face. Shit. She was asleep. He heaved a sigh but there was nothing he could do. He didn't want to wake her up but he didn't want any of the others to see her with just his vest to cover her. He glanced over at the pile of clothes that Bella had brought in earlier for Ana to pull on after her shower. They were clear across the damn room on the bench.

But then a smile curled his lips. He didn't care if he was sitting on the cold, hard floor. He didn't care if the water was soaking through his jeans. Ana was back. And she was safe, right there in his arms where he could see her and know that she was okay. And THAT'S all that mattered.

_**~*Ana*~**_

_Wish You Never Met Me by Papa Roach_

A man and a woman were running through the woods, panting as they surged through the undergrowth and jumped over roots. Their clothes were caked with blood, sweat, and dirt. The woman slipped and fell and the man was quick to double back and hold a hand out to her, stealing a glance behind them.

His eyes were a stormy gray, his skin sun-bronzed, his features very handsome. He had light brown hair that was in a somewhat spiked disarray and he was probably just shy of 6'0", built with a firm, muscular frame.

"Come on!" he cried, "We've godda fuckin' GO!"

The woman was quick to grab his hand and scramble to her feet, reaching her free hand up to brush the dirt from her short, blonde hair as her blue-gray eyes darted every which way.

She was sprinting right along beside him. He was still holding her hand, their arms pumping as they sprinted down the hill and towards the fence surrounding the prison.

"We've godda get in dose fuckin' walls, Steph," the man called to the woman as they raced for their lives.

Swarms of zombies were running down the hill after them.

They reached the gate and found that there was a lock on it. The woman stole a quick glance back over her shoulder at the masses of the undead that were running down the hill and over the clearing towards them.

"Liam!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear.

"LET US IN DA FUCKIN' GATE!" he roared, his fingers curling in the chain-link fence and shaking it just before the zombies surrounded them, ripping their skin from their bodies with gnashing teeth and greedy hands.

The screams of the man and the woman pierced the air as they gave a final shout.

The man's gray eyes glared up at the tower as he gave his last, ragged breath.

"You did this," was all he said.

Then he was gone.

Ana gasped and sat bolt upright in Daryl's lap, her heart racing.

**Well, what did you think? The more reviews, the better. It'll give me an idea of what everyone thinks. And, the more detailed they are, the more they help me to gauge your reactions. I just LOVE hearing what the readers think and I can't wait to hear from all of you. You can also send me a message if you have any questions, concerns, or comments and I'll answer just as SOON as I can. Thanks so much for reading and there are more chapters where this one came from. ****Also, something I should've mentioned before now, for all of you avid Daryl fans, I have a one-shot that's essentially all smut, if you're interested. Just check my page out and you should be able to find it. I write a Red Canyon fanfic too.**

**Libby**


	2. Chapter 2 - Keeping Secrets

**Author's Note: ****Well, it's so nice to see you again. *laughs* If you're back, you must've enjoyed the first chapter. So I can't thank you enough for taking the time to read for me. You'll learn a bit more in each chapter, I promise, and there will be more bumps along the way. So I hope you enjoy it and I'll see you real soon.**

**Chapter 2: Keeping Secrets**

_**-=Daryl=-**_

Daryl heard Ana gasp and she sat bolt upright in his lap, her hazel eyes snapping open.

"Ana-," he started to ask.

But she was already off his lap, heading across the shower room to the pile of clothes Bella had left on the bench for her. She quickly dressed. Hell he barely even had time to register the fact that she'd been standing across the room from him, naked. She ran her fingers through her long, wet hair, tucking her hunting knife into its sheath at her hip before heading for the door of the shower room.

Daryl just sat there at first, his brows wrinkled in confusion as he stared at first the bench she'd dressed in front of and then the doorway she'd just walked through. What the hell was going on?

He shook his head and pushed himself onto his feet. He headed out the door, his long legs quickly eating up the distance that separated him from his best friend as she hurried down the hallway. For a short little thing, she sure could move fast. He began to jog to catch up to her but she never slowed her pace.

"What's goin' on?" he asked her, "You have a nightmare or somethin'?"

"Kind of," she replied, her eyes focused on her destination.

"Well that doesn't exactly tell me very much, ya know?" Daryl pointed out to her.

She said nothing. Instead, she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed her shotgun off the counter.

She walked right past the rest of the group, who were gathered in the kitchen. Every head in the room turned to look at her. But she just headed out of the prison and into the yard. She whistled to get the horses' attention and they all came trotting over to her as Daryl headed out of the building after her. She grabbed a saddle pad from the bleachers and placed it over the black mare's back. She slipped a bridle on her and then saddled her up, making sure the girth was tight.

"Where the hell ya think you're goin'?" Daryl asked her.

"I'm just goin' for a ride," she stated.

"You're NOT goin' out there," Daryl told her firmly, pointing to the direction of the gate of the fence that ran around the prison.

"I don't plan on it," she informed him.

Well… That brought him a little bit of relief. But it still didn't explain why she was acting so strangely or what was going on in that head of hers.

Daryl sighed. Apparently he wasn't going to be getting much information out of her. So he grabbed a bridle from the bleachers and looked at the two remaining horses. It wasn't that Daryl wasn't familiar with riding horseback. But he'd had some bad luck with it. That was for DAMN sure. One of Ana's family's horses had bucked him off a couple times – the crotchety old nag – and he'd been thrown from one of Hershel's horses as well – Nervous Nelly. So he wasn't going to take his chances with the gelding since he remembered Ana telling Carl that Buddy had a "bit too much spunk" for teaching beginners on. Besides, the bay mare had come up to stand in front of him, sniffing at the bridle and looking at him expectantly.

"All right," he said, "Let's get this thing on ya then."

He slipped the bit into the mare's mouth and she accepted it without any fuss. He slid the bridle up her face, slipping the leather band behind her ears. She nudged at him with her nose and followed him over to the bleachers, standing patiently beside them as he put the saddle pad on her back and slung the saddle up over her back. He made sure it was in the right spot and then cinched up the girth, making sure it was nice and tight so the saddle wouldn't slip. That was the LAST damn thing he needed, to have the fucking saddle slide around and him fall off the damn horse.

"Well…" he heard Ana hint to him, her voice full of impatience, which wasn't like her at all, "Come on if you're comin'."

Daryl brought the reins up over the mare's neck to set them behind the saddle horn, grabbed the saddle horn in one hand, and swung himself up into the saddle. Ana nudged her mare into a walk, her eyes scanning around the yard and outside the fence. Daryl nudged the bay mare into a walk, guiding her up beside the black mare Ana was on.

"You gonna tell me what the hell this is all about?" Daryl questioned, hoping to hell he'd get an answer this time.

Honestly, her lack of information was worrying him. It wasn't like her at all.

"I just wanna make sure the group is safe. That's all," was all she told him.

"You're hidin' somethin' from me," he accused, his blue-gray eyes narrowing at her in suspicion.

"You wouldn't understand," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone, looking away from him again.

So she hadn't denied it? And she couldn't look him in the eye.

"Try me," he persisted.

But she didn't say anything more.

Instead, she rode along silently, her eyes darting all around, always on the move. In fact, he found it hard to concentrate himself. Normally, he'd go up to one of the towers and do a sweep of the grounds by taking a good, hard look around, his attention focused only on making sure that there were no holes in the fence or walkers on the grounds of the prison. But her fidgeting was distracting him and driving him nuts. He kept stealing glances over at her between looking around the prison grounds and outside of the fence that surrounded the grounds.

They worked their way all the way around the grounds and she never said a word. Silence normally didn't bother Daryl but it did when it was coming from Ana. She was usually the bubbly, talkative type. She wasn't the kind to keep secrets from him. She'd always told him when something bothered her. But not right now. And it not only worried him but it also made him a little uneasy.

When they'd made it to one point in the yard, she reined her mare in and he did the same, watching as she just stared off into the distance, her eyes fastened to the hill she and Bella had come racing down earlier that day. She stared long and hard at that spot, her face taking on this look… He just couldn't figure it out and it ate at him. It was like… It was like she knew something. Like she was EXPECTING something.

"Ana…?" he questioned, his voice soft and quiet, even a little hesitant.

But she just pulled her eyes from the spot and turned her head to face forward again, nudging her mare in the sides with her boots and easing her into a walk again. Daryl sighed and nudged his mare into a walk to ride along beside her again.

He'd find out what it was that was on Ana's mind. One way or another. Because it was going to bug the HELL out of him until he figured out what it was.

_**~*Bella*~**_

Bella headed down the hallway towards the kitchen, having set things up for her and her sister in the cell they were going to be sharing, the one right next to Daryl's. It was away from the rest of the group members' cells and she knew that Daryl liked it that way. He'd always been a standoffish one, much like herself. And, while Bella wasn't really one for reversing the roles and tending to her older sister, she could sense that there was something going on with her. Not knowing what was bothering Ana bothered her.

She'd seen her sister hurrying out of the shower room, avoiding Daryl's questions as he followed her down the hall and towards the kitchen, where the rest of the group was. Ana and Daryl had been gone for a while too. Ana wasn't usually the secretive kind of person, unless someone had shared something in confidence with her. In that case, Ana would carry that secret with her until the day she died. She wasn't the kind to tell other people's secrets.

Bella was more cautious about where her loyalties lied. She wasn't like Ana. She didn't always try to see the good in people or give them her trust until they proved that they no longer deserved it. Instead, Bella made a person work to earn her trust. And they had to work HARD.

Bella also preferred to keep her distance from people. She didn't want to get attached to someone and then have them turn away from her, like her and Ana's mother had done when she was a little girl. Bella didn't know the whole story about her older sister's life. And Ana didn't talk about it. All Bella knew was that the girls' mother had given Ana up to her grandparents when Ana was just a little girl. But Ana had spent plenty of time with their mother anyway after Bella had been born. Bella was smart enough to know that Ana had raised her. Their mother sure hadn't. In fact, their mother had been pretty indifferent to the girls when they'd been growing up. Ana had moved away to live with her dad when she was 16 – another thing she didn't talk about – and Bella hadn't had any idea of why she had done that. Ana had just told her that she had to move and that she wanted Bella to remember that she would ALWAYS love her. After Ana moved, their mother had given custody of Bella to her father. But, when the damned zombie apocalypse had broken out about 6 months ago, Ana had called Bella right away when she'd seen the zombies on the news. She'd left college and risked her own safety to go find Bella. They'd been together ever since.

So no, Bella didn't know even HALF of the details of her sister's life but that didn't mean that she didn't love her, that she'd didn't trust her, that she wouldn't die for her if it came down to it. Bella and Ana had saved each other's asses time and time again and they'd both made the vow to each other that, as long as the other one lived, they wouldn't give up the fight.

Bella walked into the kitchen and found the group gathered there.

"Did Ana come back yet?" she inquired.

"She and Daryl just got back. They're taking the tack off the horses now," Rick informed her.

She nodded to him and went to go stand in the doorway and wait for her sister, her arms crossed under her ample chest as she watched her sister and Daryl remove the tack from the horses they'd ridden. Daryl was still trying to get answers out of Ana. But Bella knew that he wouldn't get any until Ana was ready to give them.

A stubborn streak a country mile wide ran in their family.

Bella headed out of the building and into the sun, bringing one hand up to shield her dark brown eyes from the sun as she made her way over to her older sister. Ana was refilling the buckets of water for the horses and carrying them over to an area of the yard that was shaded.

Bella reached out to pat Gypsy's side as she watched her sister croon to the horses, doting on all 3 of them in turn. She stroked their cheek or patted their neck or kissed their soft muzzle. Gypsy sniffed at Bella so Bella pressed a kiss to her cheek and reached up to scratch behind her ears.

She saw something out of the corner of her eye and turned her head just in time to see Daryl mutter a cursed "Son of a BITCH!" and kick at the ground before running his fingers through his shaggy hair and shaking his head. He cast a final glance over in the girls' direction and headed for the entrance of the prison.

"He's not too happy about the fact that you're not tellin' him what's goin' on," Bella pointed out to her sister.

Ana didn't say anything.

"Now you can hide shit from ANYONE you want," Bella told her, "But you KNOW you can't hide shit from me. So don't you even TRY it."

She heard her sister sigh.

"What is it?" Bella pressed.

"Sometimes it's a curse, ya know?" Ana stated, tapping her temple with a finger.

Bella nodded. She knew what was eating her sister up inside now.

"Feelin' people's emotions isn't all that great either, ya know," Bella informed her, "I'd GLADLY trade ya."

Ana gave a little laugh that lacked any humor and shook her head, replying, "I don't know which is worse."

"We're just a couple of freaks," Bella teased, giving a laugh.

Ana laughed along with her and said, "It started with mom. Mom got the gut instincts like I do sometimes. Hers were stronger though. But she never had the other ability I do. If you can call it an ability. Hell, lately I think it's more like a curse. It's plagued me these past few months."

Bella nodded. She knew what her sister had been going through. Ana didn't get much sleep to begin with but the nightmares she'd been having lately sure didn't help any.

So when the girls headed back into the building and into the kitchen, Bella wasn't surprised to see her sister start rummaging around and trying to find out where the food and drinks were. She opened the fridge, the freezer, and started going through the cabinets. Bella saw the others of the group watching her sister suspiciously but she just narrowed her eyes into little slits and glared at them, DARING them to say something to Ana.

They remained silent, stealing glances over at Bella occasionally between watching Ana. Some were curious. Others were wary. Hell even Daryl stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the hallway, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Ana.

"What are you doin'?" Andrea asked Ana.

Ana froze and closed the cabinet she'd been looking through, slowly turning around to face the group with a sheepish expression on her face.

"Sorry. I didn't mean ta be snoopy. I'm just tryin' ta familiarize myself with the place, learn where everything is," Bella heard her sister lie smoothly, "What time do you ladies wanna fix supper? Just let me know and I'll come and help. It looks like we have potatoes in here. So we could make mashed potatoes or fried potatoes or something. Sure beats the hell out of munchies. And there's still some deer jerky left from what Bella and I brought with us."

Carol nodded but Andrea narrowed her eyes at Ana.

"Don't you fuckin' narrow your eyes at my sister," Bella growled, glaring right at the blonde.

Andrea's eyes widened and Bella's jaw clenched as she glared even harder at the woman.

"She gave you EVERYTHING we had yesterday and now you think she's gonna fuckin' steal food from you guys? What the HELL is wrong with you?" Bella demanded, pushing herself off of the wall and starting over towards her.

Andrea opened her mouth to say something back but Ana was quick to step in between them, putting a hand on Bella's chest and gently pushing against it.

"Bella, just take it easy," Ana murmured, her voice soft, "There's no need ta go and start a fight."

Bella watched as her sister turned around to look at the group and reassure them all, "I'm not going to steal any food. If I want something, I'll ask for it. I know that we have several members of the group here and the only time I eat will be with the rest of the group. I never meant ta make you think that I was gonna steal anything. You guys know where everything is. I don't. But if I'm gonna be helpin' out with the cooking and washing and things around here, I'd better start learning where everything is, hadn't I?"

"You could've just ASKED one of us to show you where everything was," Andrea pointed out.

Bella reached around her sister to point at the bitch and snarled, "Don't you fuckin' talk ta her that way! My sister is NOT a fuckin' thief. Hell you're lucky she was nice enough ta offer you all the food and drinks we had stashed, the weapons and ammunition we had. We didn't HAVE ta fuckin' do that, now did we? No. But Ana did. She WANTS ta help out. She WANTS ta get ta know all of you and make friends with ya. Hell if it was up ta me, we would've kept our shit to ourselves and we'd be gone by morning."

Andrea's eyes widened again and Bella snapped, "You'd better fix those fuckin' eyes before I fix 'em FOR ya, ya moody bitch! And you'd best learn ta start keepin' that fuckin' mouth shut when I'm around or I'll shut it FOR ya. Who the fuck you think you are? You're not the leader of this group. Hell ya SHOT one of the members of this fuckin' group at one point, didn't ya? Ya knew the boys were goin' out ta figure out what was goin' on but ya didn't wanna let them handle it. Ya wanted the glory all for yourself. So ya shot Daryl. You never listened ta Dale when he tried ta keep ya from goin' and gettin' yourself into trouble or gettin' yourself hurt either, did ya? And you slept with another one, thinkin' he'd get ya out of the damn group. But Shane didn't leave and he didn't take ya with him, now did he?"

Andrea gasped, her green eyes growing real wide, and the rest of the group members' jaws dropped.

But Bella wasn't done yet.

She continued on to say, "You're just out ta use whoever you can ta get ahead. You'd step on ANY of the members of this group if ya thought it would save your own ass. You'd leave this group in a fuckin' HEARTBEAT if you thought you could survive out there on your own but ya know ya can't."

Andrea's head jerked back and Bella knew that she'd really put her in her place since the mouthy blonde didn't seem to have a comeback for any of that.

"Bella-," Rick started to say, taking a couple slow steps towards her with his hands out in front of him, palms facing her to show her that he wasn't going to hurt her.

"Ya know what? Fuck you. Fuck ALL of you!" Bella cried, "If you can't see that Ana's the sweetest damn woman you'll ever meet than you don't deserve her fuckin' time. But don't expect me ta just sit here and listen ta you bitch about her and keep my damn mouth shut 'cuz that's NOT gonna fuckin' happen."

She glared at Daryl and pointed at him, snarling, "And fuck YOU for not standing up for her. Ya stood up for her yesterday but just not today? Why's that, Daryl? I thought she was supposed ta be your best fuckin' friend? Well so much for that, huh?"

Daryl's brows rose and she shook her head. She walked around her sister and cast Andrea one last glare before storming out of the kitchen.

Bella and Ana were in their cell later that night, sitting on their beds as they tried to unwind that night.

"So… that stuff you said about Andrea in the kitchen this afternoon…" Ana started, "How did you know all that shit?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I listen. I overheard Maggie tellin' Beth about it while you were in the shower room. Apparently Glenn told Maggie all that shit."

Ana nodded and Bella gave a glare as she growled out quietly, "The bitch. I could just FEEL the hatred rolling off of Andrea in that damn kitchen. But it's more than that. It's jealousy too. Apparently she's either interested in Daryl or she's interested in Rick. She looks at you as competition and she knows you'd make a very valuable member of the group. She wants ya gone, Ana. The bitch is only out for herself. She doesn't give a SHIT about any of the other members of this group. So you watch your back around that one."

Ana nodded and said, "I don't have ta be able ta feel people's emotions ta notice that one. Carol though? Carol seems like a nice lady."

"She's only alive 'cuz everyone else keeps savin' her ass. Think about it. You're able ta read people based on their facial expressions, their body language, the subtle hints they give unconsciously. You HAVE to have seen the way she looks at Daryl. I'm guessin' he's saved her ass before. I mean she doesn't strike me as the kind ta go around packin' heat. She barely even knows how ta skin a fuckin' potato much less use a damn knife ta tear into someone. Sure, she seems nice alright but she's the opposite of Andrea. Andrea doesn't give a flying fuck about anyone but Carol puts her trust in EVERYONE. Carol's not here because she's fought for it. She's here 'cuz others have fought FOR her," Bella stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Ana gave another nod but said, "I still think she's a nice woman though. I think she'd try to help us fit in with the rest of the group, help us adjust. She'd be more helpful than the rest of the women in the group."

Bella just shrugged her shoulders.

Then Ana asked, "What do you think about the others?"

"Hershel's too damn skeptical," Bella said, not hesitating to state her opinions, "Beth's real shy and quiet. She's a lot like Carol personality wise. But Carl likes her. He's protective of her. I think the kid might even have a crush on her. And Carl? Carl's fucked up for a kid. He's clearly seen a LOT of shit that's screwed with his head. I mean his mother died giving birth to his little sister. Apparently his mother had an affair with Shane, Rick's best friend, 'cuz she thought Rick was dead. All the walkers and shit the group has seen or had ta kill… The boy's growin' desensitized. Can't blame him though. Hell I'm the same way. I'll admit it. Maggie seems like the toughest of the women in the group. She's able ta take care of herself and she even kinda looks out for Glenn, her little Asian boyfriend. Glenn's the brains of the group. He's a good guy. He's brilliant and he's optimistic. TOO damn optimistic. He's crazy about Maggie though. And he's learnin' how ta protect the group. Rick…? Rick's clearly the leader of the group. He's got Daryl as his second in command 'cuz Daryl's able ta make calls on the fly ta keep the group safe and he's able ta step in for Rick whenever Rick needs him too. Rick's number one priority is his family but he's definitely out for what's in the best interest of the group as a whole. He seems like a man with a big heart. But he used ta be soft. Now he's growin' desensitized a bit, like Carl. Like father, like son. They're both broken."

"And Daryl? You gave him an ass chewin' earlier today," Ana pointed out.

"Daryl needs ta figure out what the fuck his priorities are. He stood up for you yesterday by damn but today's not a good day? Why the fuck not? Why, all of a sudden, is he just gonna stand back and let the others question you? No best friend does that shit. Not ta mention the fact that he was watchin' you just as intently as the others were," Bella informed her.

Ana nodded and commented, "I'll agree with ya on some of it. But I still don't think we should go startin' fights with anyone. That shit you pulled in the kitchen today is gonna cost us, Bella. We're gonna hafta walk on eggshells for a while ta earn their trust back."

"Man, fuck that shit," Bella retorted, "That's NOT gonna happen. I'm not tiptoein' around for ANYBODY. They don't like me, they can kiss my ass as far as I'm concerned."

"Bella, we're NOT ready ta go back out there yet," Ana replied.

"And why not?" Bella questioned.

"Just… trust me on this one," Ana said.

Bella sighed but nodded.

"All right," she told her sister, "But I think we'd best get ta bed."

Ana nodded to her and they both lied back on their beds.

"And you shouldn't be so quick ta judge Daryl," Bella heard Ana say quietly, "He's always done all right by me. If Daryl didn't defend me to the others, he had his reasons. I don't know what they were. But he had his reasons."

_**-=Glenn=-**_

The group was gathered in the kitchen that night after the sisters had left the room, all of them talking about the sisters. There wasn't a general consensus. Everyone had different opinions about the girls. Some were curious. Some were leery. Some thought they'd be good additions to the group. Still others were confused and didn't know WHAT to think.

Daryl was brooding over in the corner, chewing at his inside of his cheek as he stared at the kitchen floor, looking lost in thought. But Glenn knew that he was listening to EVERY word the group members had to say.

"They've gotta go," Andrea said.

Daryl's head snapped up and he glared at her, narrowing those blue-gray eyes at her as he informed the group, "If they go, I go. No two ways about it."

Everyone was shocked. Everyone but Glenn and Rick. Glenn knew that Rick had already talked to Daryl about the girls and Glenn was becoming more and more observant of the group since Dale's death. Glenn was essentially becoming the new Dale of the group. He was there when someone needed to talk. Granted, he wasn't very good at keeping secrets and they all knew that. But he'd give them the best advice he could. He always tried to look out for the group members and do what he felt was best for them.

Daryl stated, "Ana is NOT a fuckin' thief. She would NEVER do the group dirty. She'd make a better damn member of this group than anyone here. She'll work her ass off ta keep everyone happy, ta keep 'em SAFE. She's ALWAYS been there for me and I know, as long as ya treat her decent, she'll be there for all of you too. Ana's got the BEST damn heart I've ever known. You don't know the HALF of the shit that girl's gone through, the shit she's had ta sacrifice for her sister. So I don't give a SHIT what you think about me but you're not gonna fuckin' run her down. You think she'd steal food from this group? Hell Ana would GLADLY go without a meal so that you guys could have it instead."

Glenn saw the man's nostrils flare in anger. He saw the color tint his face, turning it red. He knew that the redneck was upset. He knew that Ana clearly meant something to him.

"And what? You're just gonna sit there and let Bella run the rest of us down?" Andrea asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're just pissed 'cuz she told it like it is," Daryl snapped back at her, "What? You think I didn't know? I knew that Shane and Lori were sleepin' together. I knew that you fucked Shane. I knew that you wanted ta kill yourself, even after the damn CDC. Why do you think I did what I did out there in the woods with that damn hangin' walker? I'd hoped it'd fuckin' wake ya up. But it didn't."

She opened her mouth to say something but he continued anyway, "You lost your sister. You're hurtin'. I get that. But that doesn't mean ya just give up the fuckin' fight. If you really wanted ta fuckin' kill yourself, ya would've done it by now. You're too much of a damn pussy ta do it. You slept with Shane 'cuz you thought he was a strong leader. You thought he'd get you out of the group, that he'd take ya with him whenever he ran. Well guess what, sugar, he turned on Rick, the best damn leader we've had, and Rick had ta kill him. Then he came back as a fuckin' walker and CARL killed him. Bella was right. You don't give a SHIT about the other members of this group. You're only out for yourself."

Andrea gasped and Glenn's brows rose. This was going to get ugly REAL fast.

"Rick, I don't think it'd be wise ta take a vote right now," Glenn said to their leader quietly.

"I can see that," Rick replied.

Glenn wanted to keep the peace so he started speaking in defense of the girls, telling the group, "Bella was right about somethin' else today. She said that they didn't have to offer us all the stuff they did. She was right. They could've kept it all for themselves. They could've crashed here a couple days and then left. I know this is just their first day here but Ana didn't hesitate ta offer us everything they had. She was glad to share what they had with all of us. They offered us food, drinks, weapons and ammunition, a First-Aid kit, hell even feminine products for the women of the group. Ana didn't care if she and Bella had ta go out and raid another store after they left here. She's pitched in to provide lunch for us and she jumped right in to help prepare supper tonight too."

Carol, Daryl, and Rick all nodded. The rest of the group seemed to consider his words as well but they didn't give any indication on their standpoint on things.

Glenn went on to say, "And, if Bella was against letting Ana share their supplies so much, I don't think she would've hesitated to start a physical altercation with her sister. We know Bella's not afraid to state her opinions. So I don't think she would've just stood there and watched her sister give away all their things without actually putting up a fight if she was against helping us that much."

Glenn saw Rick slowly nodding his head and Daryl gave him a single nod too.

"Bella's a risk," Hershel piped up, "She's a hothead."

Daryl rolled his eyes and asked, "And I'm not? Ya think I don't know how you guys feel about me? I'm not stupid. I see the way you watch me like I'm gonna slit your throat while you're sleepin' or somethin'. Hell I've saved your asses more than once and I don't go around bitchin' about it either. Ya think Rick would let me stay if he didn't trust me? Ya think he'd make me his second in command if he thought I was gonna do somethin' ta put you all in jeopardy?"

Everyone's eyes widened and Glenn knew why. Daryl had FINALLY admitted that he knew that the group was skeptical of him, that there was a bit of distrust between them, despite the fact that Daryl had always been there for them when they needed him most. Not to mention the fact that Daryl had actually realized that he was Rick's second in command and WHY Rick had elected him as such. Now he was going to try to use his position to try to sway the others into agreeing with him. It wasn't a fear tactic or a threat. It was a bold move, sure. But Daryl was smarter than the other members of the group gave him credit for. He was more observant than even Glenn himself or Rick. And Daryl NEVER voted on group decisions unless he strongly agreed or disagreed with something or he was asked for his opinion.

Glenn saw Maggie get up from her spot at the table and head over to stand beside him. Glenn draped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her into his side, turning his head to press a kiss to her temple as she wrapped her arms around his slender waist.

"I think we should give the girls some more time before we make our vote," Glenn commented.

Maggie looked up at him, her gray-green eyes showing her confusion before she nodded to him.

She looked at the rest of the group and informed them, "I agree with Glenn. We don't really know them yet. What would another couple days hurt?"

Glenn smiled down at her and she rested her head against his shoulder. She'd taken to siding with him on things, as long as she wasn't completely opposed to what he was standing for. She'd told him before that she thought he had a good heart and that he'd make a great leader. But he wasn't the kind to fight for the position and, to be honest, he didn't think he'd ever be able to handle being the leader of a group. It was one thing when he looked out for himself, like he was used to doing. But when it came to protecting a whole GROUP of people and always trying to look out for the best interests of those in the group… Well he didn't know if he could do that. That was a real big job. And Glenn was content with just being Rick's soundboard and the "group counselor" as Maggie called it.

"We can wait a bit longer," Rick stated, "It'll give us more time ta get ta know the girls, ta figure out what they're like and how they'll interact with the rest of the group."

Glenn nodded his head when Rick looked over at him and Rick gave him a nod in response, letting him know that he supported his idea and appreciated the fact that Glenn had brought it up.

Daryl walked out of the kitchen and the group dispersed, each of them heading to their cells.

But Glenn didn't miss hearing Andrea mutter, "I'm still gonna vote for them ta leave."

_**~*Steph*~**_

Stephanie Riddick walked down the main road of the town she and her boyfriend, Liam O'Shaughnessy, were passing through. Her blue-gray eyes darted here and there and she had her Beretta at the ready, her other hand reaching down to pat the hilt of the knife in the sheath at her hip, just to be sure that it was still there in case she'd need it.

She stole a glance over at Liam and he nodded to her, silently letting her know that it was okay.

"Dare's a convenient store over dare," Liam pointed out in that thick, Irish brogue of his, reaching out a hand to indicate to the building he was talking about, "Why don't we go see if dare's anyting we can take wit us?"

Steph nodded to him and they made their way across the street and over to the entrance of the building.

"I'll go in first," Liam said as he stood in front of the door, one hand holding his gun up and the other on the handle of the door, "You cover me ass from da front. Once I know it's safe, I'll call ya in."

Again, Steph nodded.

She turned her back to the door, her eyes skimming left first, then right as she kept watch from the outside of the building as he quietly counted to three from behind her and then eased the door open. They both heard the tinkling of the bell on the door and they held their breath. But nothing happened.

Liam entered the store and he was in there for a few minutes before she heard the door open and she heard him call, "Steph, it's safe, love. Come 'elp me fill deez bags."

She nodded and turned to face him, slipping through the doorway as he held the door open for her. They made their way into the store and he gave her instructions.

"Take anyting you can fit in yer bag. Make sure dat ya fill da bag wit as much shite as ya can. Canned goods last da longest but dare also da heaviest. We'll need medical supplies and shite just in case too. Grab anyting and everyting ya can. Den meet me at da front door," he told her.

She started down one of the aisles, her eyes reading the labels on things that were on the shelves. She grabbed single-serving bags of junk food, juice pouches, a First-Aid kit, a pack of underwear. Hell she grabbed anything she thought might be useful and she crammed it into the pouches of her book bag until it was completely full and she couldn't fit another thing in it. Then she headed for the front door and saw Liam as he came out of one of the aisles, nodding to her as they both walked for the door. They made their way outside and started down the road again.

They had no idea where they were going. They were just going. Anywhere was better than Atlanta. They'd been heading away from the city for months now, almost always on foot. They honestly had NO idea where they were. They were just two survivors, hell-bent on keeping each other alive. But she trusted Liam with her life.

Steph had been dating Liam for the past 3 years and he was the BEST damn man she'd ever known. When they'd seen the epidemic spreading on the TV, seen the way those… THINGS had torn helpless humans apart, RIGHT there on the streets in front of the video camera for the news channel, they'd known then that they had to get out. They had to run. They had to get as FAR away from Atlanta as they could. And Steph had never ONCE doubted Liam's judgment or the calls he'd made since they'd left their apartment back in Atlanta. Instead, she'd followed him faithfully, putting her trust solely in him. And, so far, they'd saved each other's lives more times than they could count. They'd come across several of those damn things and they'd killed plenty of them too.

Liam led her off the road and into the woods. She didn't question him. They'd made it 6 months after the world had gone to shit. She had no reason to doubt him. Even when they'd run into trouble, they'd still gotten each other out alive. So she followed him through the woods, her book bag slung over both shoulders, reaching down to lace her fingers through his long, slender ones.

He turned his head to look down at her and she grinned up at him. He retuned her smile with one of his own, his gray eyes lighting up as he gazed down at her.

"I love you," she said.

His grin turned into a crooked little smirk and he leaned down to steal a quick kiss as they walked along, replying, "Ya know I love ya like crazy, Steph."

They heard a branch behind them snap and they both froze mid-step, slowly turning around.

_**~*Ana*~**_

Ana jerked awake, sitting bolt upright. She sighed and brought a hand up to run her fingers through her hair, shaking her head at herself. Her sleep had been plagued with nightmares lately, almost every night. This time she'd had a nightmare about HIM.

She turned her body, letting her feet find the floor and pushing herself up into a standing position in front of her bed.

She saw her younger sister reach up to rub her eyes and heard her ask, "You're gettin' up, aren't ya?"

"I'm not even gonna TRY ta go back ta sleep after that one," Ana admitted.

She heard Bella sigh but Bella sat up and turned to face her, nodding before getting to her feet in front of her own bed.

Both girls stretched and then looked at each other.

"You don't hafta get up just because I am," Ana reminded her younger sister.

"I know," Bella replied, "But I might as well. Never know who's already awake. What fuckin' time is it anyway?"

They both gazed out of the cell they were staying in and saw the windows of the prison. A variety of pastel colors was leaking in through the bars of the windows. Dark orange, bright pink, and even light purple cast their colors onto the prison floor.

"Looks like the sun's just now comin' up," Ana answered.

Bella heaved another sigh but nodded and said, "Right. Well… What are your plans?"

"I wanna make sure the horses have plenty of water. Then I wanna make a patrol around the grounds. I wanna exercise the horses today too. We can't expect 'em ta just pick it up for us if we don't keep 'em in top shape. We've gotta help 'em stretch out those muscles 'cuz I doubt they're just gonna run around the grounds," Ana explained.

Bella nodded and said, "All right. I'll come with ya."

Ana nodded to her and they both took turns at the toilet while the other sister stood guard, making sure no one would see them if they happened to walk by their cell. Then they tucked a knife into the sheath at their hip and headed to the kitchen to wash their hands and grab their shotguns before they headed out of the kitchen and out of the building.

Ana and Bella filled up the water buckets for the horses and set them in the shade, letting the horses get a drink before Ana went over to the bleachers to grab a bridle. She chose to ride Buddy that morning, slipping the bit into his mouth and making sure the cheek straps and ear band were in place before she grabbed a saddle pad and placed it over his back. Then she swung a saddle up onto his back and cinched it up.

"Suck it in, mister," she scolded gently, patting at his belly, "I know you're puffin' up like a damn penguin."

Bella laughed and told her, "Gypsy never gives me that trouble."

Finally, Ana had Buddy ready to ride and she swung herself up into the saddle. She coaxed him into a walk and Bella coaxed Gypsy into walking right along beside the gelding.

"So you and these patrols… This isn't just about the group, is it?" Bella questioned.

"No," Ana answered honestly.

"What is it then?" Bella inquired, stealing a glance at her between searching the yard for any walkers that might have gotten in.

"Always keep your eyes on that hill," was all Ana said, pointing in the direction of the hill they'd rode down to get to the prison.

Bella nodded to her. She had a feeling what it was that her sister was trying to tell her but Ana wouldn't come right out and say it.

The girls made their patrol around the grounds, not finding anything out of the ordinary, and Bella asked her sister, "It's a bit quiet, isn't it? We haven't seen a walker the whole time we've been in here, other than the ones that were waitin' around the fence when we first rode in here. With all the members in the group, you'd think there would be more of those fuckin' shufflin' creeps around here."

Ana shook her head and replied, "Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it."

Then she nudged Buddy into a trot, heading towards the open area near the building they were staying in. Bella worked with Gypsy and then cooled her down before taking her over to get some water while Ana worked Buddy out and then Midnight. Ana took the horses through their paces, exercising them thoroughly to stretch out their muscles and tendons. At one point, she saw Daryl leaning against the side of the building, just watching her.

She wasn't stupid. She knew what the others thought. They were wary of her and Bella. She could see it in their eyes, see it in the subtle gestures their bodies gave away.

The group came out to watch as Ana and her sister prepared to race each other on horseback. Carl had come out of the building and asked what they were doing before darting back inside to gather up the rest of the group. He was clearly really excited about the event.

Ana had selected Midnight for the race, knowing that Bella would want to choose Buddy since Gypsy didn't have quite as much "get up and go" as the other two horses. She could run when need be but she wasn't nearly as fast as the other two. Both Midnight and Buddy were competitive too and they were growing frisky as the girls backed them up to the fence at one end of the yard.

Midnight threw her head and stomped one hoof on the ground while Buddy's nostrils started to flare and he began to paw at the ground.

"How far are we ridin'?" Bella asked her sister.

Ana pointed and said, "We'll ride to the other fence over there. The ground's pretty flat through this part of the yard so we shouldn't have any problems. We'll stay away from the hills. There's a concrete sidewalk in a couple places but don't fight it if the horse decides ta jump. Trust Buddy. He'll know what's in the best interest of his own health as well as yours. He can clear at least 4 feet tall obstacles so you'll be fine to jump over a single-width slab of concrete sidewalk."

Bella nodded and Ana shouted to Carl, "You count it down, little man. We'll go on your 3, all right?"

Carl nodded enthusiastically and both girls leaned forward in their saddles a little, staring straight ahead of them.

"One…!" Carl counted.

Midnight gave a whiney and jerked her head up and down.

"Two…!" Carl cried.

Buddy snorted and pawed at the ground.

"THREE!" the boy shouted.

Ana dug her heels into her mare's sides and the mare took off. She knew her sister would make the mistake of letting Buddy have his head right from the start. And Midnight didn't like it but she kept her at a steady gallop, holding the reins a little tighter than the black mare would've liked. She fought the bit but Ana kept her hold on the reins firm as the horses raced across the open ground.

They were eating up the ground and fast. Buddy was ahead of them and he reached the first patch of concrete sidewalk, giving a little jump to clear it. Midnight reached it shortly afterwards, easily clearing it. She tried to pick up her pace after the jump but, still, Ana refused to let her.

Not until they were halfway through with the race did Ana give complete control to the mare and then Midnight brought it up to an all-out sprint, surging headlong towards the fence at the opposite side of the prison grounds. She passed Buddy, who was growing tired by this point, and ran ahead.

When they drew closer to the fence on the other side, Ana slowed the mare down and brought her to a stop just in front of the fence. The mare's nostrils were flaring, her breathing harsh. Sweat had started to gather on her neck. Ana reached down to pat her on the neck, smiling at her victorious mare as Bella slowed Buddy and brought him to a stop beside her.

The girls walked the horses over to the group and Carl grinned up at the girls.

"I thought you were gonna lose," Carl told Ana.

Ana just smiled and shook her head.

"I thought you were gonna let her win," he added.

But Ana just smiled down at him and told him, "I knew what I was doin' the whole time. I knew Bella there was gonna let Buddy have his head. She wasn't gonna rein him in a bit like I did with Midnight. I knew Buddy would tire and that's why I held Midnight in until we were halfway through the race. See Midnight's got more stamina than Buddy does and I helped her conserve some of her energy by reining her in for the first half of the race."

"You're a good rider," Carl stated, smiling up at her, a look of admiration in his eyes.

"Well thank you. But I couldn't have done it without Midnight. I knew that Bella would choose Buddy for the race since Gypsy's not as fast as either one of these two. Honestly, Buddy's faster than Midnight. But every horse needs a good rider to win and that rider has to know what moves to make and just when to make them. If Bella would've kept him reined in a bit until we were further into the race, they very well could've won," Ana informed the boy.

He nodded.

"The best advice a person could ever give a beginning rider is this: you have ta get to really know your horse and you have to trust them," Ana said, "Now… You wanna hop on up here with me?"

"Yeah!" Carl was quick to answer before he looked over at Rick and asked, "Can I?"

Rick chuckled and nodded to his son, telling him, "Go ahead. Just do what Ana tells ya."

The boy nodded and Ana told him, "Slip your foot into the stirrup, behind mine… Now give me your hand…"

The boy did as she'd told him and she helped him swing up into the saddle before instructing, "Now wrap your arms tight around my waist. We're not gonna do anything fancy. We're just gonna take it at a walk."

Carl looped his arms around her waist and she nudged her mare in the sides, easing her into a walk. They rode the mare up to Block C, the building where they were staying, and Ana helped the boy down before she slid out of the saddle herself and removed the horse's tack. Midnight headed over to one of the buckets and began to drink. Gypsy went to go sniff her and the mares looked at each other for a few minutes before Midnight went back to drinking.

"I've got somewhere ta be," Ana told Carl.

The boy's brown brows wrinkled and he asked, "Where's that?"

"I'm gonna go up to the tower and look around," Ana explained, pointing to which tower she was talking about.

"Can I go with you?" he questioned, cocking his head to one side.

"I suppose so," she replied, a teasing tone in her voice before she reached out to ruffle his shaggy, brown hair.

He gave her a playful glare and she crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him, making him laugh.

They made their way up to the tower and she gazed out at the hill.

"Where are you…?" she murmured quietly, "When are you coming…?"

"Who are you talkin' to?" Carl asked.

Ana sighed and looked down at him.

"Ya know… Some of the members of the group think you're crazy…" he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I know," she replied, a sad smile on her face.

"But I don't," he said.

"Is that so?" she questioned, looking down at him.

He just nodded and she inquired, "If I tell you a secret, will you PROMISE me that you won't tell anyone 'til I tell them myself?"

He nodded energetically and she smiled down at him before leaning down to whisper something into his ear. His hazel eyes grew real wide and his jaw dropped before he looked up at her.

**I'm BAAAACK! Hey there, strangers. I hope you liked it. I can't wait to hear from all my lovelies. As much as I'd love to read your thoughts, I can't. But I'm just as happy to hear what you think. If you don't tell me, I'll never know. There's a please and thank you if you do.**

**Libby**


	3. Chapter 3 - All Will Be Revealed

**Author's Note:**** Well hello again. I'm glad to see you came back for more. I can't blame you for eating Daryl fanfictions up like candy. The man's addictive. Anywho, on with it. Here's chapter 3. I'm sure you know the drill by now. You read and I hope you enjoy and then I get to find out when you get to the bottom. Hopefully I'll get a review too! :D**

**Chapter 3: All Will Be Revealed**

_**-=Daryl=-**_

Daryl still hadn't made any headway with Ana yet. He'd seen her walking down from the tower with Carl following right along behind her and the boy was chatting away to her. Daryl didn't doubt that the boy was safe with Ana. He didn't think that she'd steal from the group or ever try to harm any of the members of the group. Hell he knew she'd fight to the death for them, if that's what it came down to. But he knew that she was hiding something from him and he hated it. She'd NEVER kept secrets from him. At least, none that he knew about.

Ana had pitched right in and helped the women make lunch that day but he hadn't missed the way that Andrea watched her. Carol had passed Judith over to Ana for a few minutes while she poured the drinks for everyone and all the women but Andrea had smiled when they had seen Ana tending to the baby. She rocked her gently in her arms, crooning to her softly and running a finger over the baby's cheek in a tender caress. When Rick had come into the kitchen, he'd frozen on the spot, seeing Ana holding his daughter. Carol had asked how she'd gotten so good with babies and Ana had explained that she'd raised Bella the best she could. Daryl had watched it all.

Now he sat in his cell, staring at the wall as he sat on his bed and racked his brain in an effort to try to figure out what the hell it could be that his best friend was hiding from him.

Almost as if she'd heard him thinking about her, she appeared at the door of his cell and she offered him a small smile.

"You mind if I come in?" she asked him.

He shook his head and she walked into his cell, going over to take a seat beside him on the bed. Usually, he'd feel uncomfortable with someone sitting so close to him. But not Ana.

"Daryl… I know that you think I'm just as strange as the others do. I know that I haven't answered a lot of your questions. I just… As much as I hate ta admit it… There are a few things that you don't know about me. A few things that I've kept hidden from you. And I'm SO sorry for that. But I'll tell you as long as you promise me that you won't tell the others, not until I'm ready ta talk about it with them. I WILL tell them. Probably tomorrow to be honest," she confessed.

_Hate It When You See Me Cry by Halestorm_

Daryl just looked at her, a look of hurt flashing in his eyes as he felt something inside his chest tighten. She'd kept things from him? Why? Did she think he didn't trust her? Did she not trust him? Did she think he'd tell her secrets? Did she think it would change the way he felt about her? Did she think it would make him turn away from her? So many questions raced through his mind.

Ana looked down at her hands as she fiddled with her fingers and explained, "The reason I moved when I was younger… I didn't know exactly WHEN I'd get to be moving. But I knew I'd be moving. Something happened, Daryl."

She looked towards the door of his cell and he heard her give a little sniff before he reached up to cup her chin in his hand, turning her face towards him to find tears gathering in her hazel eyes.

"Lord! What happened, Ana?" he questioned, his voice quiet.

"When I was 11… My mom had this boyfriend. He was always around. He stayed over and stuff. One night… One night I woke up to feel his hand down my underwear. He was touching me and… And I just got so scared!" she said, her voice cracking as she began to cry, "I started to cry and he got out of the bed. I ran to mom and I told her what had happened and she just told me 'Don't tell anyone or he'll go to jail.' He had 7 fucking accounts BEFORE me, some boys and some girls. So I tried to act like nothing had happened. I tried to avoid him. But mom just kept telling me that I was making things awkward, that I should be nice to him or people would start to get suspicious. I had weekend visitations with dad – you knew that. One day we were sitting at the kitchen table and he told me that I could always tell him if something ever happened ta me. I just clammed up and my face must've turned all red. He asked me what happened and I didn't say anything. He started to cry and begged me ta tell him what had happened. I told him. He decided that he was going to fight for custody of me. At that point, all I wanted to do was get away from mom's boyfriend. I would've done ANYTHING to get away from him. But living with dad was a fucking mistake. For the time I was with him, he was nothing but verbally abusive, always running me down. I was nothing but a damn maid to him. I did all the cooking, all the housecleaning, all the laundry, whatever had to be done around the house. I wasn't allowed to go anywhere or do anything without his permission and I wasn't even allowed to leave the house or see friends or do anything like the rest of the kids did. After I graduated from high school, my grandparents helped me get set up with college. When the damn zombie apocalypse broke out, I called Bella RIGHT away and I went to find her. We've been together ever since."

"Jesus Christ!" Daryl cried, "Why didn't you ever tell me?! I would've done somethin', ANYTHING ta get you out of there. You know that. Don't you?"

She gave a little nod and buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

"I didn't wanna get you involved, Daryl. I knew you'd tear him apart. Him and my dad both. And I didn't want you ta get into trouble," she replied.

He couldn't BELIEVE the shit she'd just unloaded on him. All this time? ALL this fucking time and she hadn't told him?

"I can't BELIEVE you'd hide something like this from me," he stated, shaking his head.

Her head snapped up and she had this wild look in her eyes.

He realized it was a look of desperation as she whimpered, "Daryl, please! Please you can't be mad at me! I did it to protect you! I didn't want you ta do anything that would get you in trouble! You're the CLOSEST friend I've ever had! Please don't hold this against me!"

Not once in her life, despite ALL the shit she'd been through, had he EVER heard her beg. His chest tightened again. But this time it wasn't from his own pain. It was pain for her.

Daryl couldn't stand to see that look in her eyes. He couldn't stand her tears. It tore him apart. She was the ONE person that had always been there for him until she'd moved away. Had he known that she'd been going through all that shit, he would've done ANYTHING to put a stop to it, to get her away from that man or kill the man himself. He couldn't imagine the toll it had taken on his Ana. Wait… HIS Ana? Where the hell had that thought come from?

Still, he couldn't stop himself from reaching out to her, pulling her into his arms and tucking her in close to him.

"You can't tell Bella," he heard Ana say, her voice barely above a whisper, "She doesn't know. And I don't ever WANT her to know. There's a LOT about my life she doesn't know. I just… I don't want her ta know that shit, all the sacrifices I made ta raise her, the things I went through, the fact that mom gave me up too. Knowing what I went through will only bring her pain, guilt, and anger. Those are things she doesn't need any more of."

Daryl nodded. He understood why she didn't want Bella to know about her past. Hell he hadn't even told Merle that their old man had beaten him too, ESPECIALLY after Merle had skipped out.

He pressed a kiss to Ana's temple and murmured softly, "You should've told me. I would've done somethin', Ana. I would've done ANYTHING ta make it better for you. You know that."

She nodded and wrapped her arms tight around him, sobbing into his chest.

Hell she NEVER cried and yet she'd cried BOTH days she'd been there at the prison so far. Daryl had never seen her like this.

"Looks like you might just be as fucked up as I am, darlin'," he teased gently.

She laughed and pulled away from him, looking at him as she shook her head and reached up to wipe her eyes.

"I don't know about that. But I am fucked up. I'll give ya that one," she replied, a teasing tone to her own voice.

He chuckled and she looked down at her lap, telling him, "Daryl… There's something else I have ta tell you. And you might not believe me. It's why I've been actin' so weird lately. Just… Promise me ya won't say anything ta the others 'til I tell 'em… Okay?"

He nodded to her and waited impatiently for her to tell him. This was it. She was FINALLY going to tell him.

"Well… There are two somethings actually," she stated, "See… I um… I'm kind of a freak I guess. I get these gut feelings sometimes and-,"

"Hell that doesn't make ya a freak, Ana. We ALL get gut instincts sometimes," Daryl interrupted her.

"No. I mean like… Like I can sense that something is going to happen," she tried to explain.

"Well yeah. That's what a gut instinct is," he said with a single snort of laughter.

She shook her head and clasped her hands together and he could almost see a hint of frustration on her face as she said, "No. Not like your normal gut instincts. I have them more often than most people do. And they're slightly stronger. They're not as strong as the ones mom got. She used to always get them before somethin' happened ta someone we were close to, whether it was a car accident or bein' diagnosed with cancer or whatever. She had it before one of my distant cousins committed suicide too. Her instincts were stronger than mine. I've had mine before shit went south or before somethin' really good has happened. In fact, my instincts were what guided me to come here. I had no idea where I was going. I was just following what my instincts told me and Bella trusted me. And… I um…"

She leaned in to whisper into his ear and his head jerked back as his blue-gray eyes grew real wide and he stared at her.

She wouldn't meet his eyes but she looked down at her hands and nodded her head, telling him, "It's true. And something's comin'."

Daryl's heart began to race.

_**-=Rick=-**_

Rick knew just as well as the others that something was going on inside of Ana's head. Something was bothering her. And he didn't know if it was a threat to the group or not. But he had to find out before he allowed the group to vote on whether or not Ana and Bella stayed with the group. If either one of the girls were going to pose a threat to the group, then Rick couldn't let them stay, even if it meant losing Daryl as well. The group would have to learn how to manage without Daryl's help. Although Rick really hoped it didn't come down to that. He honestly didn't know if the group could survive without Daryl.

No one knew Ana better than Daryl did. And Rick didn't think he'd be getting any information about Ana out of Bella. So, once again, he was going to go to Daryl for advice on the sisters. He was going to see if he could pick Daryl's brain and see just what all Daryl knew about them.

He'd waited until Ana had walked out of Daryl's cell and then he had gone in to talk to him. Daryl looked up from his spot on the bed and nodded to the leader.

He started to get up but Rick shook his head at him and said, "You don't have ta get up."

He took a seat on the bed across from Daryl's and cut right to the chase, telling him, "Daryl, I know that you're the best person ta talk to ta get the answers I'm lookin' for."

Daryl nodded and stated, "You're lookin' for more information on Ana and Bella."

It wasn't a question. Once again, Daryl had known that Rick would come to him for information on the sisters.

"Whaddya wanna know?" Daryl asked.

"I need ta know if there's anything that's goin' on with either of the girls that's gonna pose a threat to the group," Rick informed him, "We've all sensed that there's some sort of struggle goin' on inside of Ana's head. And I know that it's worryin' the rest of the group. You know it as well as I do. I need ta know everything you can tell me about the girls."

Daryl nodded and replied, "Ana has morals. She puts EVERYONE before herself, even if she doesn't know 'em. Several people have tried ta walked all over her after catchin' onto that little fact. She's a GOOD woman, Rick, the BEST I've ever known. If you knew even HALF of the shit that woman's gone through, you'd be amazed that she's got such a sweet personality. You'd be shocked shitless that she's not bitter and spiteful. Hell I just found out more about her tonight, things even BELLA doesn't know about her, stuff I hadn't even guessed could've been goin' on 'til she came ta me and told me about it just now. Rick, I've hardly EVER seen her cry. Hell I could count on one damn hand how many times I'd seen her cry when we were growin' up. But she's broken down BOTH fuckin' days she's been here so far. She's goin' through a LOT of shit right now. But she is NOT a threat ta the damn group. Not now, not ever. She'd give her LIFE for any member of this group, even Andrea, if that's what it came down to. And she wouldn't fuckin' hesitate either. THAT'S the kinda person she is. She's not a thief. She's not capable of hurtin' anyone unless it's ta protect herself or someone else. You've seen how she is with Carl. You saw her with Judith today. She's always happy ta pitch in and help the other women with the cookin'. She's already said she'll help with the laundry for the group. She's been makin' patrols ta make sure the group's safe and sound here. She might not know the group all that well yet but she's TRYIN', Rick. And Andrea isn't makin' things any easier for her but she still didn't let Bella at her, now did she? And she never spouted off to her, even though she had EVERY fuckin' right to."

Rick nodded. Everything Daryl had said so far checked out. He believed what his second in command had told him, every word of what he'd said.

"But do you know what's goin' on up there in her head?" Rick questioned.

Daryl's jaw clenched and Rick saw the muscle in his jaw twitch before Daryl told him, "Hell she's just lost a little girl that she'd taken into her group and was lookin' after not even 2 months ago, Rick. And you heard Bella tell the group that Ana had lost her boyfriend too. That wasn't even a fuckin' month ago. Hell that was barely even 2 weeks ago. She was close to him. Maybe not as close as you were with Lori. But she was close with him all the same."

Rick's eyes narrowed a little and he cocked his head to one side a little. While Rick believed most of Daryl's answer, something was off. Daryl had NEVER lied to him before. But he was lying now. And Rick didn't know why.

Daryl gave a little sniff and reached up to run a finger underneath his nose, asking, "Anything else ya wanna know?"

Daryl hadn't liked the fact that Rick had said Ana was acting strange. Rick would have to watch what he said around his second in command where Ana was concerned.

"Tell me about Bella," Rick prodded.

Daryl gave a single snort of laughter and started right in, "She's a 'hothead' as the others called her. She's got a real mouth on her and she's not afraid ta use it. She won't hesitate ta stand up for her sister, as you've already seen. She keeps her distance from others. She doesn't wanna get close to anyone. I think part of that stems back ta the fact that their mother gave them up when they were younger. She didn't adopt them out or anything like that but she gave Ana to Ana's grandparents when she was 3. She gave Bella to her dad after Ana moved out. Bella carries an AWFUL lot of resentment around with her. SHE'S the bitter one, the spiteful one. And you can bet your ass that she's gonna be even more protective of Ana right now since Ana's still tryin' ta sort through all the shit she's got goin' on in her head right now. Bella's got a better shot than anyone in this group but me and you. She can make split-second decisions but she'd rather Ana make the calls than herself. She's not exactly a responsible one. She's an adult, mentality wise, but she's only 16 years old. The kid's grown up without either one of her parents really bein' involved in her life. Like I told ya before, Ana raised her. Bella would do ANYTHING for Ana. And I wouldn't put it past her ta launch into a damn fight over someone runnin' her sister down either. Bella's the one you've gotta watch out for. But with me, you, and Ana ta keep her ass in line, she should be manageable."

Rick nodded. He'd learned a lot about the two sisters. The fact that Daryl had lied to him was still eating at him though.

"All right. Thanks," Rick said with a nod.

"There anything else ya need?" Daryl inquired.

"There anything else you think I should know?" Rick asked, trying to play dumb and not let Daryl know he was on to him.

Daryl narrowed his eyes a little and studied Rick before finally shaking his head and answering, "No. There's nothin' more I can tell ya. Some stuff Ana would rather not disclose with the group. If she really wants ya ta know somethin' or she thinks it's important, Rick, she'll tell ya herself."

Rick was surprised but he nodded and stated, "All right. I'll keep that in mind."

Daryl hadn't lied that time either. But that one lie was still bothering him.

_**-=Glenn=-**_

Glenn saw Rick walk out of the building and towards the tower where he and Maggie were keeping watch. Glenn knew the expression on their leader's face. That was his "it's time for a serious talk" look.

"Maggie… Can you give us a minute when he comes up here?" Glenn asked his girlfriend.

Maggie frowned and he knew that she didn't like the idea of leaving him – the couple had grown a lot closer since they'd left her father's farm – but she nodded and headed for the stairs to head down the tower. He knew she'd be back just as soon as Rick headed back into the building.

He heard Rick's footsteps growing closer as he came up the steps of the tower. Rick came into sight and he went to go stand beside Glenn, both of the men stealing a glance at each other before looking out over the yard of the prison.

"See anything today?" Rick asked.

"Nah," Glenn answered, "Not even a single zombie outside of the fence. It's been really quiet lately, other than when Ana and Bella showed up. It's kinda creepy."

"Yeah. Speakin' of Ana…" Rick hinted, "That's why I came here."

"You want my opinion on the girls?" Glenn questioned.

"Not yet," Rick informed him, "Daryl lied ta me today, Glenn. Daryl has NEVER lied ta me. But he lied ta me today. He knows what's goin' on with her but he won't tell me what it is. I believed him when he said that he knows Ana would never pose a threat to the group. I believed him when he said that we could keep Bella in line. But, when I asked him what was goin' on with Ana, he lied ta me. He told me that she was still in shock from havin' lost that little girl and her boyfriend a few months back. And that might be true but that's not all he knows."

Glenn's dark brows wrinkled and he asked, "He lied ta you?"

Rick just nodded and Glenn rested his hands on the wall of the tower. Why would Daryl lie to Rick? ESPECIALLY if he'd never lied to him before? It didn't make any sense. Daryl tended to be the kind to state his opinions, whether they were asked for or not.

"He must've had a good reason if he lied, Rick," Glenn finally decided aloud.

Rick nodded and agreed, "I finally came ta the same conclusion as I was walkin' here ta talk ta you. I just… I can't figure out what it is. I can't seem to figure out why he'd lie ta me."

"Maybe it's somethin' she went through growin' up," Glenn pointed out, "Hell none of us really know anything about Daryl's childhood but we know that he's pretty screwed up because of shit he went through as a kid. And I don't think he'd wind up bein' friends with some primpy, white-picket-fence, Miss Perfect Life girl. You saw the hatred in Bella's eyes when she chewed Andrea's ass. It takes somethin' pretty serious ta bring on THAT kinda hate."

Rick nodded again and Glenn pointed out, "Hell I'm sure we ALL have at least one secret we never wanna share with someone unless we're REALLY close with 'em. Would you tell perfect strangers about the meltdown you had after your wife died in childbirth? Would I tell perfect strangers that I'm terrified I'm gonna fuck things up with Maggie 'cuz my own parents never even held hands in public and I have no idea what ta do in a damn relationship?"

Rick's brows rose and Glenn nodded, stating, "See? I wouldn't have told you that if I didn't trust you."

Rick nodded his head and said, "I see where you're comin' from."

"Rick, if Daryl thought it posed a threat to the group, he'd tell you. If he thought it was THAT serious, he wouldn't keep it from you," Glenn assured him, "You trust him. He knows that. Hell he just admitted it to the whole damn group there yesterday. You honestly think he'd piss that away?"

Rick shook his head and reached out to pat Glenn on the shoulder, telling him, "Thanks. I needed a second opinion."

Glenn nodded but told him, "There's somethin' I wanna talk ta you about."

Rick turned to face him, resting his hip against the wall of the tower and nodding for him to go on as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Glenn sighed and brought a hand up to run his fingers through his hair, peering out at the grounds of the prison.

"I've heard other members of the group talkin' Rick. If Ana doesn't sort this shit out soon, whatever it is, I don't think the girls will be gettin' too many votes ta stay."

Rick sighed and asked, "What have you heard?"

Glenn shook his head and informed him, "Andrea's gonna vote no, no matter what. She's pretty set on it. Hershel's not a fan of Bella so it's a no from him. Beth's gonna side with Hershel 'cuz she trusts his judgment. Maggie's gonna vote whatever I vote. She trusts MY judgment."

Rick chuckled and nodded before questioning, "And Carol?"

"Carol doesn't have anything against the girls. You know Carol. Hell she's cool with anyone," Glenn commented.

"What about you?" Rick inquired.

"Honestly? I don't know what Ana's goin' through but she's dealin' with whatever it is better than most would. She's still there for the members of the group whenever they need somethin'. She's been helpin' the women cook. She's offered ta help with the laundry. She didn't hesitate ta take Judith when Carol asked if she could hold her while she poured the drinks and Carol wound up just lettin' her hold the girl. And you've seen how good she is with Carl. She kept Bella from gettin' into a fight with Andrea right there in the kitchen when she could've just let her have a go at Andrea – and most people probably would've stood back and let Bella have at her. She offered us EVERYTHING the girls had. So I don't have any doubts about Ana. I know that Daryl would tell one of us if somethin' serious came up with her. As for Bella? Well it's kind of a package deal. If we keep Ana, we get Bella. If we get rid of Bella, Ana leaves too, and that means that Daryl goes with 'em. And I know that Bella's pretty… well Bella. But if Daryl really thought she was that much of a problem, he would've already had at her. You know how he is," Glenn explained.

Rick nodded and Glenn asked, "What about you? What do YOU think about all this?"

Rick ran a hand over his face and rubbed at his brow before confessing, "I don't see anything wrong with Ana. And I know that Daryl trusts her with his LIFE. Now Daryl doesn't trust easy. Hell we ALL know that. So if he trusts her, she's gotta be a pretty decent person. And I believe 99% of what Daryl told me about the girls. I just wish I knew what it was he was hidin'. But, like you said, it must be somethin' about Ana's past that he's sworn ta keep secret for her. But Carl really seems ta be warmin' up ta Ana. He talks about her a lot and she seems ta be good with him. I saw how she doted on Judith. Daryl was right when he said she'd be safe as long as Ana was around. I saw how those girls came ridin' down here to the prison, Glenn. They were FEARLESS. And she's been good with the other members of the group, even if they are suspicious of her. She's pitched right in and helped out around here. Hell she was gettin' ready ta give Carl his first riding lesson when I headed out here. He's all excited about it."

"You'd better not miss it then," Glenn told him, gesturing to the yard, "Here they come."

Rick nodded, looking that way, and headed for the stairs of the tower.

"We won't vote yet," was the last thing Glenn heard him say as he jogged down the stairs.

_**-=Liam=-**_

Liam drove a knife into the last zombie's skull as Steph leaned against a tree, panting. A group of 5 of the damn walking dead freaks had apparently followed them from town and they'd killed them. One of them had hurt Steph though. And he wasn't fucking happy about that at ALL.

He pulled the blade out of the zombie's skull and let it fall to the ground, wiping the blade on his jeans and slipping his knife back into the sheath on his thigh.

He walked over to Steph and cupped her face gently in his big hands, looking into her eyes.

"Tell me what 'urts, baby," he crooned softly, his eyes raking over her from head to toe.

He saw a few drops of blood trickling down from under her bangs and he reached up to gently brush her short, blonde bangs off of her forehead, finding a small gash above her temple, where her hair met her face. She gave a little cringe and he leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead, pulling her into his arms as he ran one hand up and down her back in slow, soothing motions while his other hand cupped the back of her head.

When Liam eased away from her, he eased his sleeve down and brought it up to gently wipe the blood from her face. Hell he already had blood all over the front of his shirt and his jeans were ripped all to hell. What did he care if he got a little more blood on his clothes?

Steph gave a tiny hiss from between clenched teeth and he was quick to apologize.

"I'm sorry, love. But we've godda getcha cleaned up. Let me see if we 'ave anyting ta clean it out wit," he told her, "What'd ya smack yer 'ead on?"

"A damn rock," she answered.

He growled and turned to glare down at the zombies, asking, "Which one fuckin' did it?"

She pointed it out and he pulled his gun from its holster at his hip.

"Liam, you could draw more," she tried to point out.

"I don't give a shite. It 'urt me girl and it's gonna pay fer it," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"It's already dead," she reminded him.

He sighed but glared at the zombie. He gave it a sharp kick in the ribs and it groaned.

"Looks like it's not," Liam informed her, pointing his gun at its head and blowing its brains out.

"NOW it's dead," he corrected her previous statement.

He heard her sigh and then she asked, "Liam… What if we don't make it?"

He whirled around and looked at her, his gray eyes wide.

"What did ya say?" he asked her.

He didn't think he'd heard her right. There had to be some sort of mistake.

"What if we don't make it?" she repeated.

No. He'd heard her correctly.

"Yer talkin' crazy, woman. Look, we've made it dis far, 'aven't we? You've never ONCE doubted me before. Why now?" he questioned.

She looked down at the ground and said, "I don't doubt YOU, Liam. I doubt myself. You know that."

He felt his chest tighten and he shook his head as he commented, "Don't be STUPID. You killed two oudda da five. And one of 'em injured ya. You're PERFECTLY capable of 'andlin' yerself, Steph. Where da 'ell is all dis shite comin' from?"

He saw tears pooling in her eyes and the air whooshed out of his lungs. He felt completely deflated. Her tears always did him in. He HATED to see her cry.

"Liam, I love you. You KNOW I love you. I don't doubt you for a SECOND. I just… Where the hell are we gonna go? Are we going to live our lives constantly on the run?" she inquired.

"We're gonna do whatever da fuck it takes ta survive, Steph. DAT'S what we're gonna do. And you are NOT gonna give up, you 'ear me? I won't fuckin' let ya. So you suck it up and ya keep yer shite together. I love you and I am NOT gonna let ya give up. I'm NOT gonna fuckin' lose ya. You got dat?" he snapped.

Liam and Steph had NEVER had a real fight. Sure, they might have disagreed on some things from time to time but it never escalated to an actual fight. But he'd be DAMNED if he let her give up, if he let her think that she wasn't going to make it.

"Dis is da fuckin' zombie apocalypse, Steph. Dis isn't a fuckin' walk in da park. I get dat. But dat doesn't mean dat it can't be done," he informed her, "Now just give me a fuckin' minute and I'll get sometin' ta clean dat wound."

He tucked his gun back into its holster and knelt over his pack, unzipping it and taking some of the items out to set them on the ground before he found what he was looking for. He packed everything back into the book bag and then opened the First-Aid kit he'd pulled out.

"Sit down on dat log over dare," he instructed, pointing to a log near her.

He made his way over to her after she'd taken a seat and he popped the kit open, pulling out some disinfectant ointment, a thick piece of gauze, and some medical tape. He rubbed the ointment over her wound, put the gauze over it, and then taped it onto her forehead. Then he closed the kit and went to go put it back into the book bag. He zipped the bag back up before he stood, slipping the straps over his arms before pointing at Steph.

"You listen ta me, Steph," he said, "I don't care 'OW fuckin' bad dis gets. We're in dis togeder. I can't make it wit out you and you can't make it wit out me. You give up and I will too. You mark me fuckin' words. Da day you give up, I'll let da fuckin' zombies 'ave me."

She gasped and he grabbed her bag off the ground, starting to walk away. He knew she'd follow him, ESPECIALLY after that little speech. But everything he'd said was true. He couldn't make it without her. He loved her WAY too damn much to live life without her.

_**-=Daryl=-**_

_Time After Time by Quietdrive_

Daryl was lying on his bed later that night, trying to fall asleep and failing miserably. He just couldn't quit thinking about what Ana had told him earlier that day. He'd never been able to get a full night's sleep anyway but he doubted he'd get even a WINK of sleep tonight. He still couldn't get over it. Her mother's boyfriend had ripped her innocence away from her. He wanted to kill the fucker.

He saw a shadow play over the entrance of his cell and pulled his knife out from under his pillow, sitting bolt upright.

"Easy, tiger," he heard a familiar voice tease him.

He heard Ana giggle just before she asked, "Can I come in?"

"Don't pull that shit again," he warned her, "If I hadn't have known it was you, you could've wound up dead."

She came in and went over to sit down on his bed beside him.

"Scoot over," she chided gently, "I can barely even fit my ass on here."

She'd always been told in school that her ass and her tits were too damn big for the rest of her body. The girls had envied her and the boys had all talked about her. Daryl had even beaten the shit out of a few of them for it.

He chuckled and moved over, teasing, "If it wasn't so damn big it wouldn't be a problem."

She gasped and turned sideways on the bed to look at him with wide eyes.

"My ass might be a bit disproportionate from the rest of my body but it's not THAT big," she stated.

He chuckled some more and said, "Is too."

"Is not!" she insisted.

He just laughed and she pouted. He thought it was adorable. She'd always gotten her way when she pouted and she knew it. Well… She'd always managed to talk HIM into doing whatever it was she wanted by pouting. It hadn't worked for her parents or her grandparents.

"Ya big meanie," she accused.

He just laughed some more and asked, "Is that all you've got?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and she said, "I'm surprised you even talked about my ass ta be honest. You're so damn shy around women and any time I'd try ta talk to ya about sex or somethin' you'd clam right up."

He shut up real quick and she giggled, pointing at him and commenting, "SEE?"

"Shut up," he snapped.

Daryl wasn't the affectionate type. Hell he didn't even know what affection was, except for the few times Ana had shown him affection to calm him down after shit had gone south at home when they'd been growing up. And he SURE as shit didn't know anything about foreplay or sex. He was still a virgin for fuck's sake!

But what did one expect? He was considered a "backwards, backwoods, hotheaded redneck". His old man had cheated on his mom and his older brother, Merle, had been one to go out searching for girls to distract him from their problems back at home when they'd been growing up. Of course, that was BEFORE Merle had ditched their family and left Daryl alone with their drunken, abusive old man.

"DAMN, Skippy," Ana teased, "SOMEONE'S grumpy."

"Am not," he replied.

"Are too," she countered.

"Am not," he challenged.

She sighed and commented, "Despite the fact that I'm really stubborn by nature, I'm gonna let you have this one. I can't sleep so I figured I'd come cuddle with you."

"Well you can forget it," he told her.

She pouted and he shook his head protesting, "No, now don't start that shit."

"Daryl, PLEASE?" she asked.

Uh oh. She was bringing out the pleases too?

"No," he answered.

"PRETTY please?" she tried.

He sighed but shook his head, feeling a little of his resolve slipping.

"Grumpy ass," she muttered, lying down on his bed beside him and rolling onto her side so that her back was facing him, "I'm not leavin'."

He sighed. She always did that. She always turned her back on him when she got mad or upset with him. She never walked away. But she still let him know that she wasn't happy with him.

"Well I'm not cuddlin'," he informed her.

"Fine," she replied, "Then I'll just lay here."

He gave another sigh and she scolded, "Stop that."

"No," he said.

"It wouldn't KILL you ta cuddle with me, Daryl," she pointed out.

"Yeah it would," he insisted.

She reached back and he felt her lace her fingers through his, the palm of her hand against the back of his. She brought his arm around her slender waist and wiggled right back against him. If it had been any other woman, he would've shoved her RIGHT off of his bed. But it was Ana. So he allowed it. And, as much he hated to admit it, he didn't mind cuddling with her. Hell it was kind of nice to hold her in his arms. It let him know that she was right there with him, that she was safe, that anything that wanted to hurt her would have to go through him first.

But that thought reminded him of something else… Ana's secret.

"You can't keep this from Rick forever," Daryl told her, "You've gotta tell him soon, Ana. This could change EVERYTHING for the group."

"I found somethin' else out this afternoon too," she explained, "Sis is gonna get a boyfriend."

"Who? Carl?" Daryl questioned, "I thought he liked Beth."

"Oh he does," Ana was quick to agree.

"Well Glenn would never break up with Maggie, so unless she calls it off-," he started to say.

"The guy isn't from the group, Daryl," she stated.

"Wait… You mean ta tell me…?" he began to ask before trailing off.

"That's right," she agreed.

"You've gotta tell Rick, Ana. TOMORROW," Daryl insisted.

"I will," she replied.

"So that's why ya can't sleep then?" he asked her.

"No," she answered, "He seems like a guy I'd approve of her datin'."

"So what is it?" Daryl questioned.

"Last night I had a nightmare…" she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I had a dream about HIM. It was like I was right there, goin' through it all over again. I could feel him touching me and-,"

She cut herself off, giving a shudder, and Daryl tightened his arm around her, pulling her closer. He'd DIE before he ever let anyone hurt her, before he ever let anyone touch her.

"He can't find you, Ana. He'll never touch you again," Daryl assured her, "I PROMISE you that."

She nodded and he heard her give a little sniff.

To try to distract her, he told her, "The guilt's eatin' me up."

She turned in his arms, rolling over onto her opposite side to face him and gazing up at him in the dark.

"Daryl, that wasn't your fault. What could you have POSSIBLY done?" she questioned.

"No, not that," he said, "I lied ta Rick today. I've NEVER lied ta Rick."

"Why did you lie to him?" she asked, her brows wrinkling in confusion.

"'Cuz he asked me if I knew what was goin' on with you. I knew you didn't want me ta tell Rick yet so I lied and said you were probably still in shock from having lost that little girl and your boyfriend," Daryl explained.

She nodded and reached up towards his face.

He jerked his head back, acting on pure instinct, and saw the hurt in her eyes before she pulled her hand back and murmured, "Sorry. I didn't mean ta scare you. You know I'd never hurt you."

He nodded and reassured her, "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean ta hurt your feelings."

"It's okay," she told him, "It's all you're used to. But you won't have to be guilty much longer, Daryl. And I'm sorry for putting you in this situation. I really appreciate you keepin' my secret though. I can't thank you enough for that."

He nodded to her. He'd do ANYTHING for her. And he knew she'd do anything for him.

"Just… Promise me you'll tell them soon. At least Rick. I don't care if you don't tell any of the others," Daryl stated.

"Carl knows. I told him when we were up in the tower," Ana informed him.

Daryl was shocked. So she'd told Carl? He wondered if the boy would keep it a secret from the leader of the group. After all, Rick was his father. But, in all due honesty, Daryl didn't think Rick would believe Carl even if he DID tell him. It was hard concept to wrap your head around.

"And thanks for cuddlin' with me," he heard Ana murmur quietly, dragging him out of his thoughts, "I really needed this. Aiden wouldn't have been able to keep his hands off me if he was here. He'd be quick to pull me into his arms if I was upset. He'd brush my hair off my face or kiss my forehead or something. Anything ta let me know that he was right there for me, that I could turn to him if I needed him. I really miss him. He was with sis and me for about 5 months before he… Well you know…"

Daryl's arm tightened around her. He didn't like the idea of another man with his arms around her and he SURE as hell didn't like the idea of her turning to another man for comfort. That was HIS job damn it. He'd spent their whole childhood defending her honor, protecting her from bullies, comforting her when she was sad or scared. And it nearly made him green with envy to think that someone else had filled that role when she'd been away from him, even if it was just for a few months.

But he was shocked speechless when she leaned towards him. He froze, his eyes growing wider and wider, as she slowly leaned in and brought her lips to his. It was just a simple kiss. It didn't last more than a few seconds before she pulled back and gave him a shy little smile.

"I always had this little crush on you, you know?" she asked quietly, not meeting his eyes.

What?! When had this happened?

She went on to say, "I figured it out when we were in junior high. At first, I just looked at you as a friend. But when we hit 8th grade… I started ta wonder what it would be like ta be your girlfriend. I thought you were the BEST guy I'd ever known and I couldn't picture myself with anyone else. I know right? How stupid! What would a guy like you ever want with a girl like me?"

"There is NOTHIN' wrong with you," he was quick to tell her, not wanting her to think badly of herself, "I just… You know me. I wasn't much of the datin' type. And I'm still not. Women aren't attracted ta me, Ana. I never was a ladies' man and I never will be. I'm okay with that. Ta be honest, I'd probably fuck it up anyway."

She pouted and insisted, "No you wouldn't. You'd make a DAMN good boyfriend. Think about it. You'd be protective of her. You'd always be there for her, even if you didn't know how ta handle her when she cried. You wouldn't hesitate ta state your opinions when she asked for 'em and ya wouldn't sugarcoat anything just ta make her feel better either. You'd be honest with her. 'Sides, you'd be able ta take care of her, even in this stupid fucking zombie apocalypse. There's NO man a woman would ever be safer with. And no matter how pissed you got at her, you'd never lay a mean hand on her. Not after all the shit you went through as a kid. So don't sit there and tell me you'd make a shitty boyfriend, Daryl. You're full of shit."

He'd never looked at it that way. But he still didn't believe it. He knew SHE believed it. But he didn't.

"I'm a hardass. I'm grumpy. I'm bossy. I never sugarcoat anything I say and I never censor my thoughts before I speak my mind. I'm hard ta get along with and I know that, Ana. I'm moody. I'm bitter. I'm standoffish. I'm fucked up in the head. My past has fuckin' ruined me and I-," he started to argue.

"Shut up," she told him, placing her finger over his lips before she replaced it with her own lips, "Just shut up. That's my Daryl you're pickin' on and I don't fuckin' like it."

"YOUR Daryl?" he questioned, his brows rising.

"Yes," she informed him, "MY Daryl."

He laughed but his lips twitched as he fought back a smile.

"Just one more," she told him, leaning in again, "Three's supposed ta be the lucky number."

She stole a third kiss and then buried her face in his chest, wiggling closer until she was pressed right up against him. She draped an arm around his waist and nuzzled at his chest over the material of his shirt. Daryl couldn't fucking believe it!

"Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let anything but me bite," she mumbled.

"Ya better not fuckin' bite me," he told her, "I'll bite ya back."

"Ooo!" she cried, pulling her face out of his chest to peer up at him, excitement flashing in her eyes, "Really?"

His eyes grew really wide. She was into biting?

_**-=Rick=-**_

The next morning the group was gathered in the kitchen, the women were busy making breakfast and Daryl was feeding Judith a bottle. Carl was telling Rick and Hershel all about the riding lesson he'd had with Ana and filling them in on the little fact that she was going to give him another one that day.

After the food was ready, the women let the men help themselves and then got their own. Once again, Ana went last, just like always. She always made sure that she was the last one to get something to eat, wanting to ensure that the others all got enough. Rick had never missed that little fact. He was starting to catch onto more and more little details about the Spenser sisters as time went on. Today was only their third day with the group, so he was sure he'd learn a lot more as time went on.

Once everyone was seated at the kitchen table and they had started eating, Ana announced, "So I'm sure you're all curious as to why I've been acting a little… off lately."

Everyone looked at her expectantly as they ate.

"I have these dreams… and, sometimes, they play out in real life," she tried to explain.

Andrea just gave a little feminine snort of laughter and Bella reached out to slap her upside the back of the head, earning herself a glare from the older blonde. Daryl shot Andrea a glare too and set the empty bottle down on the table.

"She's not fuckin' lyin'," Bella insisted, "Now shut the hell up and listen. This shit's important."

"I had a dream the first day I got here. A man and a woman were running for their lives. I can describe to you in vivid detail EXACTLY what they looked like. She was blonde with blue-gray eyes. She had a nose ring and her hair was short. She was wearing brown shorts and a black wife beater. The man had a white, long-sleeved shirt that he'd rolled up to his elbows and there was blood splattered across the front of his shirt. His jeans were ripped. He had gray eyes and light brown hair. They came running down the SAME damn hill Bella and I did, a whole horde of zombies on their tail. They ran to the gate but no one let them in. I could hear them screaming from the tower, begging for us to let them in. But, before I could help them, the zombies surrounded them, ripping at their skin and tearing them to pieces. I could hear their screams pierce the air. She died first. The very last thing the man did was look me RIGHT in the eye and accuse 'You did this'. Then he was gone," Ana informed the group.

Everyone stared at her, their eyes wide. Rick heard Carol drop her fork and Andrea started to laugh uneasily. Hershel wiped at his mouth with his handkerchief and Beth fidgeted in her seat.

"You can't be serious," Andrea said incredulously.

But Ana just nodded and added, "And there will be a young man that will come on his own too. He'll come running and climb the fence. Why do you think I've been making all those patrols? I wanna be there when they come so I can help them. I know I wouldn't wanna be left out there to die. Can you live with their deaths on your conscience?"

They just stared at her.

"You might not believe me. But they're coming," Ana stated, "You'll see."

**It's my FAVORITE time again. I hope you enjoyed and I hope I hear from you REAL soon. :)**

**Libby**


	4. Chapter 4 - I'll Fix It

**Author's Note:**** Well, here I am again. I hope you've enjoyed this so far. I'm guessing, if you made it this far, you have. So I'll shut up and let you read and I can find out at the end.**

**Chapter 4: I'll Fix It**

_**~*Ana*~**_

Ana headed out of the building after the group had finished their breakfast. She filled the buckets for the horses with fresh water and whistled. The horses came trotting up from where they'd been grazing closer to the gate of the prison grounds. They perked right up, seeing her standing there, and came over to greet her for the first time that morning. She dealt them all some attention, showering them with her affection, before leading them over to the buckets to show them that she'd refilled them with fresh, clean water.

Daryl and Bella came out to join her and Ana felt her stomach give a little twinge. Her face scrunched up and she headed right over to grab a bridle. She was getting a gut instinct.

Ana headed right for Midnight and made a couple kissing noises, getting the horse's attention.

"I'm comin' with ya," Bella announced, heading over to grab a bridle even as Ana slid the bit into Midnight's mouth and eased the bridle up her face and into place.

Ana looked at her sister as she headed over for a saddle pad and nodded to her.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl questioned.

"She's gettin' a gut instinct," Bella told him, "Better hurry up and get a horse tacked up. 'Cuz she's gonna barrel outta here like a bat outta hell. When she gets gut instincts, she's RELENTLESS 'til they go away."

Daryl nodded and Ana headed back over to Midnight with her saddle. She placed it over the saddle pad and cinched the girth up tight. She swung right up into the saddle and her black mare pawed at the ground, snorting impatiently and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She threw her head into the air and gave a loud winey, quickly catching the attention of the other two horses.

"Keep your bitch calm," Bella told her sister, only somewhat teasing, "She's rattlin' the others."

Bella was quick to get Buddy ready and Daryl didn't take too much longer getting Gypsy tacked up.

Once they were ready, Ana nudged her mare in the sides and cried, "HA!"

The black mare galloped down towards the gate of the prison yard. Ana didn't know what was coming but she knew something was going to happen. Then she saw it. There, running towards the hill, was a man and a woman. They looked JUST like they had in her dream.

_**-=Liam=-**_

_Ghost Town by Egypt Central_

Liam and Steph were running through the woods, panting as they surged through the undergrowth and jumped over roots. Their clothes were caked with blood, sweat, and dirt. Steph slipped and fell and Liam was quick to double back and hold a hand out to her, stealing a glance behind them.

His stormy gray eyes took in the horde of zombies that was growing closer to them by the second.

"Come on!" he cried, "We've godda fuckin' GO!"

Steph was quick to grab his hand and scramble to her feet, reaching her free hand up to brush the dirt from her short, blonde hair as her blue-gray eyes darted every which way.

She was sprinting right along beside him. He was still holding her hand, their arms pumping as they sprinted down the hill and towards the fence surrounding the prison.

"We've godda get in dose fuckin' walls, Steph," Liam called to Steph as they raced for their lives.

Swarms of zombies were running down the hill after them.

They reached the gate and found that there was a lock on it. Steph stole a quick glance back over her shoulder at the masses of the undead that were running down the hill and over the clearing towards them.

"Liam!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear.

Liam saw a couple women and a man racing across the prison grounds on horseback, heading right for him and Steph. The shorter, brunette woman slid out of her saddle and headed for the gate to start picking the lock even as the young woman with black hair and the man started shooting at the zombies that were at the front of the approaching horde.

Once the brunette had them in the gate, she was quick to close the gate and lock it again, jumping back from the gate as the zombies reached it, rattling the gate in frustration when they couldn't reach the humans on the other side.

"Dat was PERFECT fuckin' timing," Liam panted, a huge grin on his face.

The brunette smiled at both him and Steph and informed them, "I knew you'd be comin'. I just didn't know when."

"What's dat ya say?" he asked her.

"I'll explain everything later," the brunette told him as she climbed back into the saddle on the black horse, "Let's get ya into the prison and getcha patched up."

Liam watched as the man and the young woman with black hair both climbed off their horses.

"He's gonna ride with my sister," the dark-haired girl explained, "You guys can take the bay mare."

Liam didn't hesitate. He climbed up into the saddle and helped Steph up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and the man went over to swing up into the saddle behind the brunette woman. The group nudged their horses into a walk and headed down the gravel path, making their way through the maze of fencing until they got to the actual prison grounds and dismounted.

Liam found that a whole group of people was standing against the wall of cell block C, staring at him and Steph with their eyes wide and their jaws hanging open.

His gray eyes skimmed over the group and he found that there was a baby, a boy that was probably about 12 or 13, two women, a blonde girl that was probably about 16 or 17, an older man, and a man in a sheriff's uniform. The little group that had come to his and Steph's aid were removing the tack from the horses. Once that was done, the brunette, waved her hand in a gesture for him and Steph to follow her.

Liam reached out for Steph's hand and laced his fingers through hers, leading her along behind him as he followed the small brunette. She led them into cell block C and into a kitchen area, telling them both to take a seat on the counter somewhere. They hopped up beside each other and she offered them both a bright smile.

"All right. Let's see those wounds," she said.

_**~*Ana*~**_

Ana felt the whole group's eyes on her and she heard whispers coming from the members of the group.

Andrea was the first one to speak, pointing at her and stating, "You're a fucking FREAK!"

"You wanna rephrase that?" Daryl growled at her, "She just saved their LIVES."

He was pointing at the man and woman that were sitting on the counter.

"She was right…" Rick commented, his words coming out slowly in his awe.

Ana turned around and asked Rick where they'd put the First-Aid kit. He told her and Ana nodded at Bella, who went to go fetch it for her.

The man on the countertop started to roll one of his sleeves up but sighed and reached down for the hem of his shirt and tugged it up and over his head, revealing a plain white wife beater that was soaked with blood too. There was a cut across his left, upper arm and one over his collarbone. The one in his arm was going to need stitches but the other one wasn't too bad.

Ana turned to the woman and found blood dripping down her face. She approached her and gently brushed her dishwater blonde bangs back to see a cut above her temple. The woman gave a tiny grimace and Ana offered her a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry, we're gonna getcha taken care of," Ana reassured both of them.

Bella came back with the kit and handed it to her. She set it on the counter beside the man and opened it.

"I wanna get the bleeding stopped on that one on your arm," Ana explained, looking up at the man, "You're gonna need stitches. Daryl, I'm gonna clean his wound and try ta stop the bleedin'. I'm gonna need you ta come hold the gauze over his wound while I get her head and his collarbone taken care of. Then we'll get his arm stitched up."

Daryl nodded and came right over to stand beside her.

"Whaddya need me ta do?" Daryl asked her, looking down at the kit and then up at her face.

"Can you open that bottle of peroxide for me?" Ana inquired, looking at Daryl as she grabbed a rag.

He nodded to her.

She got the rag wet at the sink and cleaned the wound on Liam's arm as gently as she could.

She used a cotton ball and put it over the end of the bottle of peroxide, warning, "It'll burn a little but not NEARLY as bad as alcohol. It's the best disinfectant we have."

She tipped the bottle upside down once, twice. Then she set it back on the countertop.

The man just nodded to her and she pressed it to his wound, dabbing it over the length of the cut on his arm. He didn't even flinch and her brows rose a bit. The wound wasn't necessarily that long of a laceration but it was fairly deep, which was why it would require stitches.

She nodded to Daryl and Daryl placed the gauze over the wound, applying some pressure.

"Hold one hand over the wound and the other – here," Ana said, reaching out to take Daryl's other hand and press a couple of his fingers above the wound, "ABOVE the wound. You wanna stop blood from flowin' down to the wound."

Daryl nodded, his eyes fastened to hers. She gave a little shudder, seeing the intense look in those blue-gray eyes.

Ana shook her head at herself and rinsed the scratch across the man's collarbone before disinfecting it and then taped some gauze over it. She did the same with the woman's wound above her temple.

"Head wounds usually look a lot worse than they actually are," she was quick to reassure the woman with a smile, "They gush like you wouldn't believe and the blood is darker when it comes from a head wound but it's not nearly as bad as it looks."

Then she returned her attention to the man's arm.

"So what are your names?" Ana asked as she gently pried Daryl's hands from the man's arm and removed the gauze to take a peek.

"Liam," the man answered with a thick, Irish brogue, "Liam O'Shaughnessy. And dat's me girlfriend of tree years, Steph Riddick."

Ana smiled and nodded to both of them and said, "Well… we'll get some food in those bellies as soon as we get ya patched up here, Liam. I bet you're both hungry."

"STARVIN'," Liam replied with a laugh.

"We had ta ditch our packs," Steph explained, her voice soft and quiet.

Ana nodded and looked over to Rick, asking, "Do you think we could find something for them to eat and drink?"

Rick nodded and headed out of the room.

Ana threaded a needle and warned Liam, "We don't have any booze ta get ya buzzed with before I do this."

"Just fuckin' do it," he told her.

She nodded and said, "Hang in there with me, man."

He nodded and she pierced his skin with the needle. Andrea gagged and headed out of the room. Ana rolled her eyes at the dumb, squeamish blonde.

She saw Liam's hands clamp down around the edge of the counter and she told him, "I know it's hard but if you tense, it'll only make it harder to pierce the skin and it'll hurt worse."

He nodded and Ana looked up at him, trying to distract him as she began to ask him a series of questions, "Where are you guys from?"

"Atlanta," Liam answered.

She returned her gaze to his arm as she worked on sewing him up.

"And you said that you've been together 3 years?" she questioned.

He nodded and she inquired, "How long have you guys been on the run?"

"We left da day da damn tings invaded Atlanta," he replied, "So about 6 monts now."

She nodded and he asked, "Ya said ya knew we were comin'?"

She nodded again and he prodded, "'ow did ya know we'd be comin'?"

She sighed but replied, "I know you probably won't believe me but, sometimes when I have a dream, it plays out in real life. And I didn't want to take the chance that this one might not have played out. I wanted ta be prepared in case it DID happen. I couldn't just leave you two out there or you would've died. Actually, in my dream, I saw you two get ripped apart by the walkers. But I wanted to avoid that. So I've been keepin' an eye out for ya the past few days."

Liam's eyes narrowed at her and he eyed her skeptically.

Ana saw Rick lean over to whisper something to Glenn out of the corner of her eye. Glenn nodded, whispering something back to the group leader. Both of the men looked at each other and nodded before Rick approached Ana just as she'd finished sewing Liam's wound shut, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Can I talk ta you and Bella for a minute?" he questioned.

She nodded and said, "Sure thing. Daryl, can you slap some gauze on him and tape it?"

Liam chuckled and Daryl nodded to her.

Ana looked at first Liam and then Steph, smiling at both of them and announcing, "I like you two, ya know that?"

They both offered her a smile and accepted the food and drinks Carol offered them. Liam offered her a thank you and a smile while Steph gave a tiny smile and voiced a quiet thank you. Ana gestured for Bella to follow her and Rick.

As they headed out of the room, Ana heard the members of the group bombard Liam and Steph with questions.

But Liam took it like a champ and answered with a charismatic smile, "Now 'old on a minute. One question at a time. I'll answer all yer questions but I can only answer dem one at a time."

The group laughed and he started calling on them one by one to ask him or Steph a question. It made Ana smile. She knew that Liam and Steph were going to fit in with the group JUST fine.

_**-=Rick=-**_

Rick led the Spenser sisters out of the kitchen and into the cell that the girls shared. He was convinced that the group needed to keep the sisters so that they would have access to Ana's unique ability. And then there was the fact that she'd just saved the lives of two individuals none of the group members knew. She had predicted that they would come and they had, JUST like how she'd described that they would. He knew that the group might want a little more proof than that but he wasn't as skeptical as they were.

"I'm gonna need you girls ta come clean with me," Rick told them, "I need to know just what it is that you girls are capable of. Now Ana's told the group that she's able to have premonitions… or whatever you wanna call 'em. Is there anything else I should know about?"

Ana nodded and informed him, "I also get gut instincts. It's saved our asses a few times. They help me to make decisions from time to time or they help warn me that something bad or good is going to happen. I don't know what is going to happen but it lets me know that it's coming at some point – and usually soon after I get the gut instinct. Hell they helped guide us here. They helped me decide what directions to take and they essentially led me to the prison where you guys were staying. I got a gut instinct this morning when I was tending to the horses and that's how I knew that Liam and Steph were coming today."

Rick nodded. That sounded like another very useful skill the group might be able to utilize.

"Anything else?" Rick questioned.

"Bella can sense the emotions of others," Ana replied.

"What do you mean 'sense the emotions of others'?" Rick inquired.

"She can pick up on what emotions they're feeling at the time. Like she can literally FEEL what emotion they're feeling. Their energy transfers onto her. That's the best way I can describe what it is that she can do," Ana tried to explain.

He nodded and looked over at Bella, asking, "So that's how you knew that Andrea was so skeptical?"

Bella gave a single snort of laughter and said, "She wasn't just skeptical. She was also disgusted, horrified, jealous, and afraid."

Rick's brows rose and Bella stated, "Right now 'dazed and confused' is quite the understatement for you. You're very confused and amazed and even a bit impressed."

Rick nodded and reached up to run a hand down his face, replying, "Yeah. That pretty much sums it up."

He looked at first Bella and then Ana before he asked the question that had been burning in his mind since he'd seen Ana, Bella, and Daryl racing off on horseback that morning.

"You said that a young man was going to join the group soon?" Rick questioned.

Ana nodded and answered, "I'm not real sure WHEN he'll be coming. My dreams don't give me a time, only the events that will unfold. Sometimes I'm able to prevent something bad from happening, sometimes it happens anyway. That's why I wanted to make sure that we had everything set up for when Steph and Liam got here. I didn't want what happened to them in my dream to happen to them in real life. The walkers ripped their flesh from their bodies with their hands and teeth, Rick. You think I wanted to just sit back and watch that happen to two helpless people?"

Rick shook his head and commented, "No. I know you didn't. I've been learning more about you two girls over the past few days. I don't know either of you all that well but I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't want them to suffer, Ana."

She shuddered at the memory and Bella reached out to place a hand on her sister's shoulder and give it a reassuring squeeze. It was the most affection he'd seen the younger Spenser sister deal out since they'd arrived there at the prison grounds.

"So how did you see the young man arriving to the prison grounds?" Rick inquired, his blue eyes trained on Ana's face as she stared down at the ground.

She closed her eyes and took in a slow, deep breath. He could tell by the way her brown brows wrinkled that she was concentrating hard.

"He's got light brown hair that brushes his shoulders, intense, hazel eyes, and deeply tanned skin. He's wearing an 'Alabama Crimson Tide' shirt with the sleeves ripped off, a pair of faded, holey jeans, and a pair of worn, brown boots. He's running down the hill, the same hill Bella and I rode down, the same hill Steph and Liam ran down. There are walkers behind him. He reaches the fence and doesn't hesitate to start scaling it. He's not wasting the time it would take to try to pick the lock and get in through the gate. He climbs to the top of the fence and throws himself over it. His shirt catches on the rings of barbwire at the top and he lifts his arms, slipping out of the shirt. He lands in a crouched position on the inside of the fence. He's shirtless and smirking. That's as much as I got before I woke up," Ana relayed to Rick.

Rick nodded and said, "That's quite enough. We know where he's coming from and we know how he plans to get into the prison grounds. So we'll try to be prepared so that he can get in safely."

Ana gave a single nod and stated, "I know this is an awful lot ta take in, Rick, but you're doin' really well with it. Honestly, most people would be totally spooked and it would take weeks for them to wrap their head around the idea. When I told you that we'd be useful to the group, I meant it. We don't mean any harm. I know that Bella's a bit of a hothead but she'll keep her cool if it means havin' a place ta stay, food to eat, a bed to sleep on, access to a shower. TRUST me. This sure as shit beats livin' out in the woods like we're used to. I mean it's doable but this is MUCH better."

Rick chuckled and nodded to them. He saw Bella give him a single nod before she gestured for Ana to go join the rest of the group. Ana looked slightly hesitant but she nodded and cleared out, leaving her younger sister with Rick.

Rick's brows furrowed as he asked the 16 year old, "So what's on your mind?"

"I'm not stupid, Rick," she started right in, "I know that you're leery of me. I know how the rest of the group feels about me. They're scared of me. They're suspicious of me. They're watchful and jumpy. They think I'm nothing but a damn hothead. Well let me tell ya somethin', Rick: I might be a hardass but that doesn't mean that I don't have a heart. ANYTHING happens to my sister, and I will personally kill whoever's responsible for it. Are we clear? And I'll be keepin' a VERY close eye on Andrea. I've seen the way she looks at Ana. I've seen the way she looks at me. I've felt the emotions rolling off of her where Ana and I are concerned. I'm not as calm and cool and collected as Ana is. I'm sure you've noticed that. I've got a REAL short fuse. But I'd watch your back if I were you because Andrea's lookin' at you as a means to somethin'. She slept with Shane with the hope that he'd get her the hell out of the group. Now she's lookin' at you and she's got some pretty sketchy vibes comin' off of her. If she tries comin' onto you, it's not because she's into you. She's hopin' ta get in good with you and get whatever the fuck she wants. Don't say you haven't been warned. Oh. And your boy's growin' up. He's got a thing for Beth."

With that, Bella ducked out of the cell, leaving him standing there with his jaw hanging open and his eyes wide.

Well… She'd CERTAINLY given him a lot to think about. Bella would bring any member of the group trouble if they messed with Ana. Andrea was after him because he was the leader of the group and she wanted something. And Carl was attracted to Beth.

Rick sighed and brought his hand up to run it over his face.

"Great!" he muttered to himself.

He walked out of the cell and headed for the kitchen, finding the whole group talking to Liam and Steph. Rick headed over to Glenn and leaned in to whisper into his ear.

"I wanna talk to you and Daryl. Alone. Come meet me at my cell," Rick told the young Asian man.

Glenn nodded and Rick stole a glance over at Daryl, gesturing with a nod of his head towards the kitchen doorway. Daryl nodded and Rick headed out the door. He looked back over his shoulder to find that Daryl and Glenn were behind him.

"We've got some pretty serious things to talk about," Rick informed both of them as he led the way to the cell he shared with Carl and the box that they'd made into a cradle for Judith.

"So what's this about?" Daryl asked, leaning up against the cell door, looking out at the hall of the cell block.

Rick watched as Daryl's blue-gray eyes gazed up and down the cell block's hall, making sure the coast was clear. His second in command was always so observant.

"Well… I talked to Ana and Bella," Rick began, "I learned several things."

"Yeah," Daryl piped up, "Go on."

"Well I learned that Ana has gut instincts as well as the premonitions or dreams or whatever you wanna call them," Rick informed both of the men, "And I learned part of the reason I think Bella's so bitter. She's able to 'sense the emotions of others', as Ana put it. The girl can literally FEEL the emotions others of the group are feeling. It's like their emotions are transferred onto her or something. She can pick up on them with ease," Rick stated.

"Are you serious?" Glenn questioned.

Rick nodded and Daryl gave a single nod, commenting, "That might explain a little of the bitterness, Rick. But the girls' mother gave both of 'em up. That's only PART of the reason she's so fucked up. Both of the girls have been through hell. I don't know which one had it worse."

Rick shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know either. But Ana told me how the young man is supposed to come to the group. He's going to run down the SAME hill that Ana and Bella came down, the same one that Liam and Steph came down. He's going to scale the fence and jump over it, onto the prison grounds."

Daryl gave a single nod and Glenn asked, "So Ana told you how he was going to get here then?"

"I asked her about it and she gave me a very detailed description," Rick answered, "She even told me what he looked like and what he'd be wearing."

Glenn's dark brows rose but he nodded.

"Did she say anything else?" Daryl questioned.

Rick shook his head and Daryl pushed, "Did Bella tell ya anything?"

"Bella said that I need to watch out for Andrea. She said that Andrea's been eyeing me and that she's got somethin' planned. Bella didn't know what it was but it involved Andrea trying to get something that she wanted from me. Bella said that Andrea's not really interested in me but that she apparently wants something from me, whatever that means. So I'd be on the lookout if I were you boys too. And, apparently, Carl is interested in Beth," Rick commented.

"Oh I could've told you that, Rick," Glenn spoke up, "I thought you already knew. The boy told me and I kind of noticed it before he told me anyway. He kind of reminds me of the way I am with Maggie."

Rick's eyes widened and Glenn was quick to say, "No, no! Not like THAT. I mean... Carl's not interested in Beth in THAT kind of way. Yeah he's got a crush on her but I don't think he's looking at her in a… well you know what kind of way I'm talking about."

Rick nodded and Daryl chuckled.

"You laugh," Glenn pointed out, "But you're in the same boat as me. I've seen the way you look at Ana. You look at her like I look at Maggie. It's like you're scared you're gonna say the wrong thing, scared you're gonna do somethin' ta make her hate you. You look at her like you want somethin' more than just friends but you don't know how to go about it."

Daryl's head jerked around and he glared at the younger man before pointing at him and growling, "You shut your damn trap. You don't know a DAMN thing about me and Ana! I'm gonna forget you said all that shit but if you EVER say some shit like that again, I'm gonna knock your damn teeth down your throat. You got me? Ana and I are NOT a couple."

Glenn gave a jerky nod and Rick laughed.

"What are you brayin' at?" Daryl asked, his gaze softening slightly as he looked at Rick.

"Daryl, he's right," Rick agreed.

Daryl gave a growl and stormed out of the cell and down the hall to the kitchen.

Rick looked over at Glenn and Glenn shrugged at him, asking, "Was I wrong?"

"No," Rick replied, "But Daryl's never been the kind ta share his feelings, Glenn. You can't say anything that will put him on the spot or anything that's even REMOTELY related to his feelings or his relationships with people."

Glenn nodded and said, "I'll make sure ta make a mental note of that."

Rick nodded to him and stated, "I'd do that if I were you. But, on another note, we NEED these girls, Glenn. Ana's talents are proving to be VERY helpful, very useful. And Bella even said something today that might help me in the future. If we could figure out a way to get Bella to keep her cool, she wouldn't be a bad addition to the group either. Honestly, I think part of her problem is this ability that she has."

"Well, you've gotta admit… It would SUCK being able to tell how everyone else around you was feeling. And if you had to feel it yourself? Yeah. That would be exhausting and frustrating," Glenn remarked.

Rick nodded in agreement and he told Glenn, "I trust both of the girls. Even Bella. Bella gestured for Ana to leave us alone today and she told me about Andrea and Carl. I never would've known either of those things if she hadn't told me. She's warning me about things that might happen. Ana's warning me about things that WILL happen. We NEED these girls here."

Glenn gave another nod and patted him on the shoulder, heading for the door of the cell as he concluded, "You're having the meeting soon, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Rick answered, "I think so."

"Well you know which way I'm voting," Glenn commented, "I'll vote whichever way you vote. You've done our group right so far. You've done the best you could at least. And Maggie's vote will mirror mine. And you know Bella's vote will be whatever Ana votes. You know Daryl will vote to keep the girls. So we'll have a pretty close vote I'd say. Let's just hope we have enough to keep them."

Rick nodded and watched as Glenn left the cell and headed towards the kitchen.

But, just as Rick was getting ready to leave his cell, he heard Ana's voice as she called out to him from halfway down the hall, heading towards his cell.

"Rick?" she called.

"Yeah?" he questioned.

"Can I talk to you?" he heard her ask.

"Sure," he answered, gesturing for her to have a seat on the bed, seeing her rubbing her temples and a sleepy look in her eyes.

She must've taken a nap and had another dream she wanted to tell him about.

But she looked over at the bed but shook her head, a grim expression on her face as she told him, "I don't know what's about to happen but chaos is going to ensue within the group. There's going to be a HUGE blowup and everyone is going to be at odds."

Rick's hopes plummeted and he gave a sigh, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he squeezed his eyes shut.

_**-=Daryl=-**_

Daryl was still trying to wrap his head around the idea that his best friend and her sister had some… psychic powers or something. He didn't know what else to call them. But he'd seen Ana's abilities come into play today. He'd seen the look on her face when her "gut instinct" had kicked in that morning. He'd seen the determination she'd had to get to that gate in a hurry. He'd seen the man and the woman running down the hill, towards the gate, just like she'd said they would. They'd looked JUST like she'd said they would, the same hair color, same eye color, hell even the same clothes! And he'd seen the way she'd tended to them, smiling and doting on them like she'd known them already.

It had been plaguing his thoughts that night as he made his rounds to make sure that everyone was safe and snug in their cells and that nothing seemed out of place or out of the ordinary. He heard Steph and Liam talking in their cell right next to Rick's.

"Well I'm glad that Ana, her sister, and her boyfriend came to help us," he heard Steph comment, "I don't know what we would've done without their help. We would've died out there, Liam."

He REALLY wished people would quit saying that shit.

Daryl growled, "She is NOT my girlfriend!"

He kept walking but heard Liam chuckle and call after him, "Whatever ya say brudder!"

Daryl gave a huff and headed up the stairs and down the hall a bit until he got to the girl's cell, which was just a few down from his own cell at the end of the hall. He liked his space and Bella had told him that she was moving her and Ana's things farther away from his cell since she wanted some distance from him too. He knew that he and Bella would butt heads at LEAST a few times but he'd still made sure to tell her not to move any farther than three cells away from his or he'd find their things and move them all into the cell of his choice. He knew that she believed him too.

He poked his head into the girls' cell and found that Bella was already out, snoring soundly in her bed. But Ana was nowhere to be seen. This alarmed him.

"Shh…" he heard a whisper, "She just fell asleep about 10 minutes ago. You know how she gets if you wake her. I thought I'd spend the night with you again… If you don't mind that is?"

He turned his head and swallowed hard when his lips nearly brushed Ana's. He hadn't realized she was so close.

_Apart (Renhold Remix) by The Cure_

"You know everyone thinks I'm your boyfriend, right?" he asked her, his tone a little sharp

She tilted her head to one side, a look of hurt filling her eyes.

"Actually, I DIDN'T know that," she replied.

"Well you know they all think I like you, don't you?" he inquired.

She shook her head and questioned, "Why would they think something like that, Daryl? Hell you don't look at me as anything more than a friend. I'M the one that likes YOU."

It was like a kick in the gut. How the hell did he tell her that he liked her, that he'd thought about her ALL damn day, without sounding like a damn pussy?

"Look… I think this is a conversation for my cell," he stated.

She nodded and followed after him, hanging her head. He knew that she was feeling gloomy. She hardly EVER hung her head unless she got scolded or she knew she'd done something wrong. And she was more of a leader than a follower. She'd never really been one to follow others unless it was him. Normally she'd lead with her head held high.

When they made it to his cell, Daryl told her, "Go on and take a seat."

She went to go take a seat on the bed across from his and Daryl sighed. He could see that this conversation was going to go REAL smoothly.

"Ana, you can sit on my bed, ya know," he pointed out.

But she just shook her head.

Then a thought hit Daryl. Had she heard the others talking? Had she heard him tell any of the others that he wasn't her boyfriend? Andrea had called him Ana's boyfriend today in a sneering tone. He'd turned right around and snapped at her that he wasn't Ana's boyfriend. He'd heard Carol make the remark that she thought Daryl was interested in Ana to Maggie and Hershel that day and he'd snipped that there was nothing more between them than friendship. He'd heard Carl whisper to Beth that he thought Daryl was Ana's boyfriend and he'd nipped that little rumor in the bud too, informing the boy that he wasn't dating Ana and that he didn't want to hear another word about the two of them come out of the boy's mouth. He'd heard Glenn hint around about Daryl being interested in Ana as more than a friend, right in front of Rick, and he'd been quick to squash that little bug too. But Rick had seemed to agree with Glenn. And he'd heard Steph make the comment to Liam about Daryl being Ana's boyfriend and he'd made sure to correct her too. So, apparently the WHOLE damn group seemed to think that there was something going on between Daryl and Ana. He hadn't realized how harsh he'd been until now. But he didn't think Ana had heard any of his little rants. Had she?

"Ana?" he questioned.

She wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Ana, for Christ's sake, look at me!" he demanded.

She slowly raised her head, her eyes finally meeting his, and he saw the sadness in the depths of her hazel eyes as the moonlight poured in through the cell.

She looked at him with something that almost resembled defiance as she met his gaze and held it.

"Daryl, why the hell am I here?" she asked.

"I think you know why you're here," he replied, his voice quiet.

She started to get up and he snapped, "Sit!"

She jumped and looked at him. He saw a little fear in those hazel eyes and that nearly killed him. God the last thing he EVER wanted to do was scare her. She'd never ONCE been afraid of him but he'd scared her just now.

"I'm sorry…" he apologized in a murmur, "Look I… I just… The WHOLE damn group seems ta think that there's somethin' goin' on between us and-,"

"Forget about it, Daryl," Ana interrupted him to say, "I'll just keep my distance from you in the future. I didn't realize you cared more about what people think of you than you did of what I thought about you. But that's fine. I've clearly been out of your life for quite a while and a lot of things have changed. I'm sorry about the rumors. You've already chewed all their asses but I'll make sure I deny any and all of the rumors too. I'll handle it. Have a good night."

She stood to go but he was quicker, blocking her way.

"Ana, listen ta me," he told her, his voice soft this time, "I DO care what you think about me, all right? I DO care what you feel about me. I just… Goddamn it! I don't know the FIRST fuckin' thing about relationships. My old man beat the shit out of my mom. He beat Merle. He beat me once Merle took off. All I ever got from that man were scars and insults. So I don't exactly have the best of relationship role models."

"And I do?" she asked, "My mom's been married three times and engaged two other times. She's dated more men than I could even BEGIN to count and you know my dad's had nothing but a string of one-night stands and short-term relationships. My grandparents had been married for over 50 years and they did nothing but bitch and scream at each other every damn day. I dated one guy off and on for four years. Hell I was just the one he ran to when he didn't have any other options and I figured it out eventually. He cheated on me. I was nothin' but a damn blowjob and a babysitter for him, someone ta keep his life in line for him. I might not have had sex with him but I messed around with him quite a bit. He proposed to me and then broke up with me two fuckin' weeks later and then I found out about a month after we split that he'd been cheating on me – at least while we were dating the last time around, if not then he'd cheated all along. He went runnin' RIGHT to the bitch he'd cheated on me with once we split, even though 'she meant NOTHING to him'. And then there was Aiden. Aiden and I never really did anything more than kiss or make out but he was a GOOD man. Hell he gave his LIFE to save mine, Daryl. The ONE good relationship I had and it was yanked away from me. So don't sit there and tell me that my experience with relationships is hunky dory either. NOBODY'S perfect, Daryl. That doesn't mean that two people that want it bad enough can't make it work. You have to try or it'll never work. And you have to want it or you might as well forget about it. No relationship is going to be perfect. There will be a few fights. There will be good days and bad days. But only the couples that want it will fight for it, will hang in there even when they just feel like letting go."

Daryl jerked his head back. She'd had not one but TWO boyfriends since she'd moved away. And one of them had treated her like shit. His nostrils flared and his jaw clenched in anger. Some man had used her as some fucking sex toy and ditched her. He'd gotten what he wanted from her and he'd cheated on her on the side.

"Just let me through," she told him, a defeated tone in her voice, "It's been a long day and I'm actually tired for once. I don't wanna argue with you Daryl. That's all it was with my father and that's all it was with my grandma. I HATE arguing. So please, I'm asking you, don't start. Just let me through and I'll go to my own cell and leave you the hell alone. I'll keep my distance and squash all the stupid rumors. I didn't start them but I'll end them."

His chest tightened and then sank. He didn't know what to do to make her stay, to make her see that he DID care about her, that he didn't want her to be angry at him, to be disappointed in him.

He'd never been the affectionate type but he was going to try something. He just hoped to hell that it worked.

He reached up to cup her face in one hand and brought his lips down to hers. But he was shocked – he'd NEVER been more surprised – when she shoved at his chest and pushed him away from her. He saw the anger and pain flash in her eyes as she shook her head at him.

"Don't," she said, her voice cracking as she glared up at him, "Don't you DARE, Daryl Dixon. Damn it! I told you how I felt about you and you do this? If you're not interested in me, don't lead me on. Just… Just STAY away from me."

She ran around him and to her cell, leaving him standing there like an idiot, staring down at the floor of his cell. He turned and kicked the nearest thing, the frame of the bed across from his. It made a loud CLANG noise and he tossed his crossbow down onto his own bed, bringing his hands up into his shaggy hair as he fisted it and gave a growl of frustration.

Goddamn it! Now he'd gone and fucked EVERYTHING up. He'd FINALLY gotten Ana back into his life and he'd managed to push her away already in not even five days! Growing up with her had been a cinch. It was never difficult or complicated. Sure, their lives had been total messes but they'd always gotten along so well, so easily. They never fought. They never made each other sad or angry. She was the BEST damn friend he'd ever had and he couldn't have ever asked for a better friend. They were as close as two friends could be. Hell he'd been closer to her than he'd EVER been to his own brother!

But now he'd fucked it up.

He turned in circles in his cell, looking for something, ANYTHING, to break. When he couldn't find anything, he only grew even MORE agitated. He began to pace back and forth through the tiny cell and snarl like a caged animal.

"I'll fix it," he said to himself, "I'll find a way. And I'll fix it."

**There are my lovelies. I hoped you liked what you read. Just shoot me a review and I'll be sure to thank you. The more I hear, the better I feel and the better idea I get about what you like and don't like. So thanks a million and I look VERY forward to hearing from you. :D**

**Libby**


	5. Chapter 5 - Not Too Shabby

**Author's Note:**** Well look at you! You're coming up on the 5****th**** chapter. I've only go the 7 posted so far and I'm currently trying to gather ideas for the 8****th****. So, with any luck, I'm hoping to be able to get plenty of feedback so I'll know where to go next. I just wanna squish you for sticking in there with me so far. I'm sure I've lost some readers from where the story started but I can't thank you enough for making it this far. Love ya!**

**Chapter 5: Not Too Shabby**

_**-=Rick=-**_

Rick smiled to himself as he sat up in his bed. He stole a glance over at Carl and found that he was still asleep. He went to the bathroom and headed into the kitchen to wash his hands before returning to his cell to ease Judith out of her cradle and tuck her in close to him. He rocked his daughter gently in his arms, smiling down at her. She just gazed up at him with sleepy eyes and turned her face to bury it into his chest.

"I know…" he whispered, "It's still early, isn't it? I don't know what woke me up so early."

Hell the sun was just rising. He could see the pastel shades of sunlight streaming in through the windows of the prison. There were bright shades of pink, orange, yellow, and red that filtered into his cell.

He checked Judith's diaper before setting her back into her make-shift cradle – a cardboard box that the group had found and decorated for her. He picked the box up and started to head out of the cell but heard a sleepy voice from behind him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Dad? What time is it?" Carl questioned.

Rick stopped at the doorway of the cell and turned around to smile at his son, telling him, "It's still early. You can go back ta sleep if you want."

But Carl sat up in his bed, reaching up to rub at his tired eyes.

Rick saw his son starting for the toilet and informed the boy, "I'll be in the kitchen, fixing up a bottle for Judith."

"Okay," his son called as Rick turned and headed out of the cell and down the hall of cell block C to the kitchen.

He set the make-shift cradle down on the counter and gently eased Judith out of it. Then he pulled the cabinet they kept Judith's baby supplies stored in open with one hand, his other arm wrapped around her and keeping her tucked in close to his chest.

He grabbed out some formula and was quick to fix the baby a bottle before leaning against the counter to feed it to her.

It wasn't more than a few minutes before Carl shuffled into the kitchen to wash his hands and asked, "So what's the plan for today?"

Rick smiled down at his son and replied, "Today we're gonna take a vote and see whether the group wants Ana and Bella to stay here with us at the prison or not."

Carl nodded and stated, "I hope they'll vote for them to stay. I like Ana. She's real nice. And she saved those people. She has those dreams and she can help people."

Rick nodded and agreed, "She's helped us ALL. I hope they'll agree to let her stay too."

Rick finished feeding Judith her bottle and Carl offered to burp the baby girl, which Rick allowed, passing him a hand towel to drape over his shoulder just in case she happened to spit up.

Carol came out into the kitchen and jumped, seeing that Rick and Carl were both up and about. Her hand flew over her chest and she voiced a startled, "Oh!" before nodding and smiling at the men, seeing that they were familiar faces.

"Sorry," Rick was quick to apologize, "We didn't mean ta scare you. I woke up early this morning and decided to go ahead and give Jude a bottle. Carl got up since I was up so he offered to help."

Carol's smile grew brighter and she said, "Well that was awful sweet of you, Carl. I'm sure your father appreciated your help."

Rick nodded in agreement and smiled down at the boy, reaching out to ruffle his hair. The boy glared up at him before cracking a smile and starting to laugh.

"So what sounds good for breakfast?" Carol inquired, heading over to check the cabinets, the spacious refrigerator, and the freezer at the top of the fridge there in the prison's kitchen.

"Food," Daryl stated as his boots scuffed across the floor.

He came to stand just in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ana came into the kitchen, walking right past Daryl without saying so much as a word and Rick's dark brows wrinkled in confusion but he didn't say anything. She hadn't seemed like the type that was short with the others of the group in the mornings. Not yet at least.

"Hey, Carol," she greeted in her usually cheerful voice, a smile curling her lips as she asked the other woman, "So what are we fixing this morning?"

Ana went to wash her hands in the kitchen sink before smiling over at Rick and Carl. Rick glanced over at Daryl to see a scowl on his face as his intense, blue-gray eyes followed Ana around the kitchen.

"We'll be having the vote today," Rick informed the small group that was in the kitchen.

"Oh good!" Ana exclaimed, "I've been waitin' for this all night."

Rick chuckled and watched as the women started to throw ideas for breakfast back and forth between each other. They finally decided they'd fix the last of the bacon, eggs, and bread since they didn't have a toaster. They were quick to set in on fixing the large group some breakfast.

Steph and Liam shuffled into the kitchen, Steph rubbing at her eyes and Liam with his arm wrapped around her waist.

Just as Ana and Carol were making the finishing touches on the group's food, the rest of the group straggled into the kitchen. The women handed out plates to everyone with a smile on their face. But Rick didn't fail to notice that Ana's smile fell when she handed Daryl his plate and she was quick to turn and hand a plate to her sister after handing Daryl his.

The group found somewhere to sit or lean and they all dug in heartily. After they were finished and Ana, Carol, and Maggie started washing up the dishes, Rick announced to the group, "Today, we're going to take a vote on whether Ana and Bella become official members of the group or not. Everyone's encouraged to vote. We'll go around in a big circle before I ask the girls themselves."

Rick started the voting himself, voicing his desire for the girls to stay.

"Yes," Carl piped up.

"Yes," Glenn stated.

Maggie looked up at Glenn before giving him a grin and nodding, voting, "Yes."

"Yes," Carol said.

Beth looked down at the ground, not meeting anyone's eyes as she voiced a quiet, "No."

Rick knew that Hershel had swayed her to vote that way.

"No," Hershel said, before looking over at Ana and Bella and explaining, "I don't have anything against Ana but I think that Bella would be too much trouble. She's a real spitfire. Maybe if I knew the girls better, I would've voted the other way. But, as of right now, my vote is no."

Ana nodded and Bella glared at the man.

"No," Andrea voiced her opinion, "Ana's a… a FREAK and Bella's done nothing but stir up trouble within the group."

"Oh like you haven't?" Bella sneered.

Maggie glared at the blonde.

"Yes," Daryl chimed in.

Everyone's eyes landed on Ana. It was her turn to vote and Rick knew that Bella would vote whichever way her sister voted.

"No," Ana said, surprising the whole group.

Everyone in the room gasped and Bella nodded, smirking at the group before she jerked her head around and screeched, "WHAT?!"

"I spent the whole night thinking about this last night," Ana informed the group, "As much as I would love to stay here, to become a part of your group, I know that I don't belong here. Rick, I can't thank you enough for giving us shelter here at the prison for the past few days. Glenn, you're the brightest guy I know and I know that you saw the value in Bella and I. Maggie and Beth, it was a pleasure getting to know you girls and I'm glad to call you both my friends. Hershel, I know why you voted no. I raised Bella myself and I wouldn't want strangers around any children I had raised either. Carol, you're such a SWEET woman and I had such a great time helping out around the place and working with you. Andrea, I don't mean to be a bitch but if you don't adjust your attitude one of these days, someone will do it for you. You used to be such a helpful, kind, caring woman I heard. I know what it's like to lose a loved one. I know what it's like to not want to survive without them. But we can't give up. So, while I've enjoyed my stay here with all of you, Bella and I are going to pack up and head out today."

"Ana, just think about this," Rick tried to reason with her.

"You BITCH!" Bella accused, pointing a finger at Andrea.

Before anyone had a chance to move, Bella lunged at the blonde, tackling her to the floor. Andrea gasped as she hit the floor and Bella pulled her arm back to land a good punch to her face, splitting her lip. Andrea gave Bella a jab to her ribs, which only made the raven-haired girl snarl. Andrea managed to roll over before Bella scrambled on top of her and fisted a handful of long, blonde hair.

"Bella, get off of her," Ana said, her voice calm and collected.

Rick hadn't seen this side of Ana yet. When dealing with her moody sister before, she'd always been quick to shout at her sister and scold her.

"No! This bitch is the reason you chose to change your vote!" Bella insisted, slamming Andrea's face into the kitchen floor.

Blood started to gush from Andrea's nose.

"Bellllla…" Ana scolded, her voice holding a warning tone.

Rick looked over to Daryl but Daryl was just staring at Ana with his eyes wide. Rick sighed and reached down to wrap his arms around Bella's waist, hauling her off of Andrea. The girl thrashed and shouted threats at him if he didn't let her go.

"Andrea is NOT the reason I changed my vote," Ana informed her sister.

Bella stopped struggling in Rick's arms and the anger faded out of her dark brown eyes as she asked, "Then why…?"

"Like I said," Ana stated, "I spent the whole night thinking about this last night."

Bella's eyes searched the kitchen and Rick's did the same. But he had a feeling this had to do with Daryl.

And he knew he was right when Ana started across the kitchen and Daryl started in on her, growling, "Ana, don't do this."

"I've made my decision, Daryl. Bella and I don't belong here," Ana said as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Watch her," Rick told Glenn and Maggie as he let Bella go, casting them a warning glance.

They both nodded and he headed out of the kitchen after his second in command and his-possibly-soon-to-be ex-best friend.

"You're not SAFE out there!" Daryl insisted as he followed Ana down the hall, jabbing a finger in the direction of the prison wall.

"We've been JUST fine so far, Daryl," was Ana's reply.

"You lost not one but TWO members of your group, Ana. That's HALF of your group," Daryl pointed out.

"I'm not gonna argue about this with you, Daryl," Ana informed him as she reached her and Bella's cell, gathering up their things and starting to tuck them under her arms.

"Then I'm comin' with you," Daryl informed her in a matter-of-fact tone, like it wasn't up for debate.

Ana gave a single little feminine snort of laughter and replied, "No. You're not. You're gonna stay RIGHT here, with your group. You've done JUST fine without me for the past 5 years, Daryl. I'm sure you'll survive another 5 just the same."

"Damn it I didn't even know you were ALIVE!" he snapped, pointing at her.

She set her things down and turned around to face him, stating in a voice that was void of any emotions, "I don't want you to come with us."

Daryl jerked his head back as if she'd just slapped him and he just stared at her, speechless.

Rick brought a hand up to run it down his face and sighed, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck as he watched the two friends bicker.

"So now you're just gonna walk away?" Daryl questioned, "You're just gonna leave me like you left me 5 years ago?"

She gasped and glared at him before reaching out to slap him across the face and growling, "You KNOW why I left. I TOLD you why I left and that was VERY hard to admit, Daryl."

He raised a hand, taking a step closer to her, and she lifted her chin, telling him in a calm, cool tone, "Go ahead. Make your old man proud."

Daryl jerked his hand back away from her and gave her the fiercest glare Rick had EVER seen him give ANYONE.

"I opened up ta you," Ana confessed, "I told you EVERYTHING. I even told you how I felt about you and you act like it's the most embarrassing thing in the world if you hear so much as ONE member of the group say you like me or hint at us being a couple. Instead of laughing it off like most people would do, you snap at 'em. Then you jump MY ass to tell 'em that it's a lie. I've never ONCE been ashamed of you, Daryl. Not ONCE. You have NO idea how bad that hurt. I was TERRIFIED ta admit ta you that I liked you. And now I wish ta hell I never had. I know it's hard for you ta talk about your feelings or open up ta me. I get that. After all the shit you've been through, I don't blame you. But that cut deeper than any pain I've EVER felt. So no. I DON'T want you ta come with Bella and I. I don't wanna see you again. Call me a bitch. Call me unreasonable. Call me heartless. Call me whatever the fuck you want, Daryl. But THAT'S how I feel."

She started down the hall again and saw Rick, stopping in her tracks.

"I'm sorry you had ta see that," she told Rick before her eyes met the floor and she hurried on down the hall towards the kitchen.

"I can't let her go out there," Daryl insisted, heading right for Rick, "If they go out there, Rick, they're gonna get killed. You saw how many walkers there were out there!"

"I'm gonna give you a chance ta fix this," Rick said, "We're almost out of meat here. I need you ta go on a hunting trip. You're the only one in the group that can hunt and you've said Ana is a good hunter too. I'll see if I can talk her into goin' with you, tell her it's the last favor I'll ask of her and then I'll help her pack her and Bella's things. But don't you come back until you fix whatever it is, Daryl. We NEED that girl in the group. You saw that half of the group voted for them to stay. And I get the feeling that you DO feel more for her than just friendship. So you do what you have to ta fix this."

Daryl nodded and Rick hurried down the hall and through the kitchen to head outside after Ana.

_**-=Carl=-**_

Carl was outside, standing next to Gypsy and running a hand over her side, when he saw his father come out of the building and head over to talk to Ana as she loaded up the saddle bags. Carl was going to hate to see the girls leave. He didn't really know Bella too well. She tended to stay away from most of the members of the group. But he liked Ana. She seemed like a nice woman and he was smart enough to know that she'd helped the group out in every way she could, not to mention the fact that she had that cool special power – or whatever it was – that had helped her save Liam and Steph's lives.

He listened hard, wanting to hear what his father had to say to Ana. Carl had gotten good at eavesdropping. The members of the group didn't share too many things with him so he'd taken to listening to them when they thought no one was around or when they thought they were far enough away that he couldn't hear them. Of course it always helped to play dumb too.

"Ana, listen, I know that you wanna go," Carl heard his father start to say, "And I'm not gonna stop ya if you wanna leave."

This made Carl frown. His dad was going to let the girls go? Just like that? But he'd said that he thought they were really helpful and that he really wanted them to be a part of the group. This didn't make any sense.

"Rick, please just cut to the chase," Ana said, "I'm not sure what your reason is for comin' out here and I really don't mean to sound rude. But I just wanna get the hell outta here."

"I just have one last request ta make of you," Rick told her, "Well, two actually. The first is that you go out on a hunting trip for the group. I wouldn't ask this of you if we didn't really need the meat. As you could see there this morning, our supply of meat is running on pretty-close-to-empty. Now Daryl says that you're a good hunter. Maybe you could go on a hunting trip with him and-,"

"Rick, if you think that Daryl is going to fix things with me that easily, you're sorely mistaken. Daryl and I have been through more than you can imagine together. He was the closest damn friend I ever had. As I'm sure you heard this morning, I confided some pretty dark secrets with him and I admitted to some pretty strong feelings for him. But that blew up in my face. My own best friend, the man that I thought out of ALL the men in the world would understand the most, the one I thought would be the EASIEST to talk to, was ashamed to even admit that I liked him, much less that he had any feelings for me. He couldn't even come and talk to me about it. Instead, he bit everyone's heads off and told them all that I wasn't his girlfriend – which was certainly true – and that I wasn't anything more to him than a friend – which pretty much said it all. I know that Daryl's not quick ta share his emotions. I know that he's not the kind ta just pour out his heart ta people. I never expected him ta do any of those things. But I SURE as hell didn't expect him to all but disown me either," Ana stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Rick sighed and brought a hand up behind his neck to scratch at the back of his neck before replying, "Ana, I understand that you wanna go. I don't hold it against ya. I'm not passin' judgment. In fact, I'll help you pack your bags or whatever it is that you need ta do before you girls leave if you'll do this huge favor for me."

Ana's brown brows rose and she cocked her head to one side.

"Well I don't have anything against goin' on a huntin' trip for the group. I'd hate to leave you all without any food. It's the least I can do for all of you before Bella and I leave. To be honest, I feel like I haven't really done much ta help out around here while we've been here," Ana replied.

"You've done MORE than enough," Rick informed her, "You've helped cook all the meals. You've gone on patrols ta make sure that the prison yard was safe for the group. You've taken turns with other members of the group ta do watch duty. You've helped look after Judith. You gave Carl a few horseback riding lessons. You saved Liam and Steph just yesterday. You've done PLENTY for this group."

She smiled at him and said, "If you say so. But I know Bella hasn't really done anything ta help out."

Rick just chuckled and pointed out, "She went on patrols with you, didn't she? She insisted on being on watch duty with you during your shifts. She insisted on going along with you when you went ta go let Steph and Liam in through the gate. Sure, she might not have been real keen on sharin' the supplies you girls had. She might have one hell of a temper. But I've dealt with worse hotheads."

"REALLY?" Ana questioned, her brows rising high again.

Rick nodded and commented, "Yeah. I had a friend that was one hell of a hothead. He screwed everything up for us back at Hershel's farm. It's a long story and I won't get into it. But he ruined things for us there. Between him and Andrea."

"Oh I wouldn't doubt it," Ana said, "What was the other favor you were going ta ask me?"

"Well I was kinda wonderin' if you might sit down with Glenn and I and tell him how the young man you told me about is going ta be coming here. He's the brightest kid I've ever known, like you said this morning. And it wouldn't hurt ta refresh the details in my mind. That way, we'll be able ta make a plan and help him get into the yard safely," Rick commented.

"I can do that too," Ana said.

Carl saw them shake on it and his hopes sunk. His dad might have been okay with Ana leaving but he wasn't. He didn't want her to go. So he planned to follow her when she went on her hunting trip and beg her to stay, convince her that she didn't need to leave the group. She was good for the group and even HE could see that.

_**~*Bella*~**_

Bella wasn't happy about the fact that she couldn't go with Daryl and Ana at ALL. She watched them saddle Buddy and Midnight up with a big scowl on her face. The rest of the group was inside the building, except for Carl, who had told his dad he would lock the prison gate after Daryl and Ana had made it out.

Bella had known when her older sister had approached her that afternoon that she'd already made up her mind to go. There was no way Ana would leave the group without food, despite the facts that they still didn't really know any of the members of the group all that well and about half of them had voted for the girls to go instead of stay with the group. Not to mention the fact that they'd already given the group EVERYTHING they'd had when they'd first arrived to the prison and they'd been more than happy to take it. But what had they offered to the girls but rejection?

So Bella hadn't exactly been cheerful when Ana had made her promise to stay behind and help Liam, Rick, Steph, and Glenn keep the group safe there at the prison. But she'd done it.

She watched as Daryl and her sister readied the horses, glaring at the damn redneck any time he looked over at her. HE was the reason Ana had changed her vote. Hearing Ana vote no this morning had shocked the hell out of Bella. She'd NEVER expected that. From the moment Rick and Daryl had stopped the sisters after they'd gotten onto the prison grounds, Ana had done nothing but offer to help the group out. She'd talked to Bella quite a bit about the group members, even stating that she'd like to be a part of the group. And Bella had known from the tone in her sister's voice when she'd said it that Ana had meant PERMANENTLY. Bella knew that her sister had been excited by the idea of the group taking a vote to see whether the girls stayed with the group or moved on. Ana had really been looking forward to the vote and Bella knew it.

So Daryl must've REALLY fucked up if Ana HERSELF voted for the sisters to move on. Bella had seen the look of shock on every member of the group's face. And she'd felt it herself. Hell she was so damn shocked she hadn't even voted that morning! But, feeling the shock radiating off of all the members of the group had nearly been overwhelming.

Bella had already saddled Gypsy up so that she and Carl could ride out to the gate and then ride back. She swung up into the saddle and then called to the boy. He came over to stand beside the bay mare and Bella helped him swing up into the saddle. As he wrapped his arms around her waist, she felt his sorrow surround her, wrapping around her just like his arms had.

Bella saw Rick come out of the building just as Ana and Daryl swung up into their saddles. Ana had already checked to make sure that the weapons were loaded before storing them into their holsters on the saddles. Bella followed the two out to the gate and waited in the saddle while Carl hopped down to open the gate. There weren't any walkers so she thought it was safe to let the boy handle it himself. She knew that doing it would make him feel a bit more responsible, like he was a "big boy" or something.

Bella watched as her sister and Daryl headed out the gate. Ana hadn't said a word to Daryl the entire time they'd been getting the horses and their weapons prepared for the trip. Still, Bella knew that her sister wasn't happy about going on the hunting trip with Daryl. She was only going for the group members that had helped the girls out or been kind to them during their stay there at the prison. And Bella knew that the girls had helped the group WAY more than the group had helped them.

Carl closed and locked the gate as soon as the horses were through but he refused to leave the gate until Ana and Daryl were out of sight. She felt the boy's sorrow growing stronger and stronger the farther the two got from the prison walls.

"Can we come back and wait for 'em when the sun goes down tonight?" the boy asked Bella.

She gave him a little smile and attempted to actually be nice to the boy, something that she didn't figure any of the group members knew she was capable of. She COULD be nice. She just chose to keep her distance and stay unattached. The closer you were to a person, the more it would hurt if something happened to them or they turned their back on you. She'd seen it happen WAY too many times with her sister. And she'd had it happen a few times herself.

"They'll get back in one piece," Bella reassured him, "They might not be very happy with each other right now but they'd never let anything happen to each other. And I'm sure one of them can open the gate JUST fine. But Ana won't leave without tellin' everyone goodbye. Don't you worry about that. She'd even wake ya up if you were sleepin'."

That made Carl smile and his hazel eyes filled with hope as he gazed up at her and questioned, "Really?"

"Really really," she replied with a single nod as she motioned him over to the mare.

She helped him swing up into the saddle behind her and he wrapped his arms around her waist. She clicked her tongue and nudged the mare in the sides, coaxing her into a walk and guiding her towards cell block C.

_**-=Daryl=-**_

"Oh come on!" Daryl huffed.

The silence was killing him and he knew SHE knew it.

But Ana just looked in the other direction, her eyes scanning their surroundings, searching for some sort of food.

"Dammit, Ana!" he growled.

"Would you just shut up?" she finally said, looking over at him.

It was the first time she'd spoken to him all morning.

"You growlin' around at me isn't gonna help your case any. I didn't come on this trip for you. I know Rick hopes we can work this shit out but what is there TO work out, Daryl? I'm not pissed at you because ya don't like me. I'm pissed at how you HANDLED things. And then you tried ta fucking KISS me after I told you I liked ya and you told me ya didn't feel the same way? How the hell do you think that made me feel, Daryl? Do you even care? 'Cuz, honestly, I don't think ya do. Why would you have made that comment about me leavin' ya, 'like I left you 5 years ago' if ya cared about my feelings at ALL? Yeah, I'm sorry I slapped you, Daryl. That was out of line and I admit it. After all you've been through, all you've seen there at home when you were growin' up, that was the LAST thing I should've done. That was DEFINITELY the wrong way ta handle that situation. I've NEVER laid a mean hand on you before and I'm SO sorry that I did today. I AM sorry about that. More than you'll ever know. But you KNOW why I left 5 years ago. I TOLD you why I left. And you're gonna thrown that in my face, even though you know the reason I left now? I don't think so," she snapped, "Hell it was hard enough to admit that somethin' like that even HAPPENED ta me! But ta have you throw that back in my face?"

She looked away from him but not before he saw her eyes filling up with tears.

Daryl knew she was hurt. He could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice, and it tore at his insides. HE was the reason she was hurting. He'd always beaten the shit out of anyone that had even so much as hurt her feelings before, let alone laid a hand on her. But HE was the one that needed his ass kicked now.

He hung his head, not able to bring himself to look her in the eyes. He couldn't stand to see the pain in her eyes, the disappointment. And it was no one's fault but his own.

Dammit, he knew she hadn't meant to hit him that morning. He'd seen it in her eyes just as soon as she'd done it. He knew she would've given ANYTHING to take it back. And she hadn't hit him just to hurt him, like his old man had. Hell his old man had gotten this sick sort of satisfaction from causing him pain. Ana had slapped him because he'd really hurt her. And he knew that she hadn't intended for it to happen. Hell she'd been just as shocked as he had when she'd slapped him.

But when he'd raised his hand at her, he hadn't been thinking either. Seeing her lift her chin, seeing the defiance and anger flashing in her eyes as she'd told him to go ahead, to make his old man proud? THAT had snapped him out of it. He NEVER wanted to be ANYTHING like that man. It really woke him up knowing that he'd almost hauled off and slapped her a good one. And he probably would've if she wouldn't have said the things she did to wake him up.

He drew in a deep breath and then mumbled quietly, "How do I make this right, Ana? Tell me what ta do."

If this had been ANYONE else, he wouldn't be asking. He wouldn't be apologizing, in his own little way. Daryl apologized with his actions, not his words. And he didn't apologize to just anyone either. Unless you were close to him, you'd never get anything even REMOTELY close to an apology out of him. He'd never been good with words and he didn't know how to tell someone about his feelings without getting flustered because nothing came out the way he wanted it to. And when he got flustered, he just fucked things up even worse than they already were.

"You let me leave, Daryl," she answered, "You give me my space. Because I can't take another deal like the one last night, Daryl. I can't."

"I can't," he told her, gazing in the opposite direction, "I can't let you go, Ana. Not now that I know that you're alive."

He'd do anything, ANYTHING, to make things better between the two of them. He just didn't know what to tell her, didn't what to do. All he knew was the fucked up things he'd seen and experienced with his family. He'd seen the cycle of abuse over and over until it was the only thing he knew. Seeing happy families, seeing happy couples, it was all foreign to him. Making friends, becoming a part of an actual group, feeling WELCOME and WANTED? Those were all things that he had never had a taste of before. They were things that he almost didn't know how to handle. Hell he DIDN'T know how to handle them. But he was learning. And he was starting to figure out that being in a group was SO much better than being alone all the damn time, fending for himself and not having anyone to look out for but himself. Sure, it was easier without everyone else to look out for. But that didn't mean it was better.

Now that Ana was back in his life again, he'd do ANYTHING to keep her by his side. Because he couldn't handle losing her again. The first time she'd left had been bad enough and she hadn't even been mad at him. And just the THOUGHT of her leaving him again made him feel about like a damn withered plant looked.

He heaved a sigh and looked ahead of the gelding he was riding.

"I don't… I don't know how ta explain this shit ta you, Ana. Ya know I'm no good with words. I don't talk about my feelings," he stated.

She didn't say a word. She'd ALWAYS helped him in EVERY way she could, except for when she thought he needed to learn a lesson. And she'd been cold and short with him all damn morning – as cold and short with him as she got with Bella when Bella got herself into trouble. Ana wasn't harsh with him. She wasn't harsh with ANYONE unless they deserved it. She hated even so much as the THOUGHT that she'd hurt someone's feeling and she wasn't the kind to get into a physical fight unless she had to defend herself or someone she was close to. But she still wasn't going to make this any easier on Daryl and he realized it then.

"Listen, I-," he started to say before she was quick to put a finger to her lips, whispering, "Shh… Look!"

She'd reined her horse in and she was pointing to their left. There, about 20 yards from where they were riding, was a large buck.

"Hello dinner," he whispered, taking out his crossbow as quietly as he could.

Ana leaned back in the saddle to avoid having to back her mare up. Moving would draw attention to them and the deer would bolt. Daryl pointed his crossbow at the deer, lining the arrow up right behind the buck's shoulder, and pulled the trigger. The deer bucked and took off but it didn't get very far before it fell to the ground, twitching and snorting. They followed close behind the deer, not wanting to lose it.

Ana looked away and mumbled, "Daryl, please."

Daryl couldn't be angry with her when she pleaded with him, not when she looked away and blinked back the tears. While she could hunt and track animals, she always hated to see them suffer or experience pain. Animals and children were her weaknesses, along with people she was close to.

Daryl climbed out of his saddle and walked over to the deer. He brought out his hunting knife, leaning down to slit the deer's throat before he removed the arrow. He wiped both the blade and the arrow on his jeans before tucking the arrow into its quiver with the rest of his arrows and slipping the knife back into its sheath at his hip.

"It's done," he told her, his voice soft.

"Thank you," he heard her reply, her voice quiet.

He turned around as she gave a little sniff and reached up to wipe at her eyes. It was times like these that Daryl was reminded just how soft-hearted she was. Ana was the SWEETEST damn woman he'd ever known, always caring, always kind and considerate unless a person gave her a reason not to be. And she only got on someone's case when they'd tried her patience to the point that she just couldn't tolerate it anymore. She could be a royal bitch if someone messed with one of her friends or family members. But she rarely ever showed that side of herself. Daryl could count how many times he'd seen her "have a bitch fit" on both hands – and that was in the 16 years he'd known her and the few days he'd been around her since she'd come to the prison and back into his life.

"Sorry," she apologized, "I know ya probably think I'm a pussy."

"You're not a pussy," he reassured her, "You're compassionate. The world needs more people like you."

She rolled her eyes and gave a single little feminine snort of laughter, replying, "Yeah. Right!"

Daryl tied the buck to the back of Buddy's saddle and they started off again.

The two of them rode for about another hour before they heard the distinct bleating of an injured deer and reined their horses in. Daryl went on red alert, his eyes scanning their surroundings even as his ears focused even more intently to every sound that they heard. If there was a walker close by, he wasn't ABOUT to let it get Ana.

"You stay, RIGHT close," he demanded, nudging the chestnut colored gelding he was riding in the sides and easing him into a walk.

They drew closer to the sound and found that it was a doe that had gotten its leg caught in an old, rusted bear trap. The metal had cut right through the bone and there was no way she'd be able to use her leg again. It was caught tight in the teeth of the trap and the doe bleated and cried. Daryl heard Ana choke on a sob and he started to climb out of the saddle.

"I can't do it myself," she informed him, her voice breaking, "I'll see if I can gentle her so you can do it."

She climbed out of her saddle and headed over to the injured deer. The deer cried louder, thrashing and trying her best to get out of the trap.

"Shh…" Ana crooned softly, "Shh… Easy, sweetheart… Easy… We're gonna help ya, all right? Just work with me here…"

She slowly approached the deer, her arms out ahead of her. When she got to the doe the animal thrashed and bucked but Ana was determined. She reached out to run her fingers over the doe's shoulder, sifting her fingers through its soft coat.

"Shh…" she whispered, the tears slipping down her cheeks, "Shh… It's all right… We're gonna end your suffering. I know it's hard, honey… It's gonna be all right. It'll all be over soon…"

She looked over at Daryl once she'd had the deer calmed down and he nodded to her, slowly approaching them.

"Put an end to her suffering. I'm sure we can save the meat," Ana said.

Daryl nodded. He had to think of a way to kill the deer quickly but quietly. The LAST thing he wanted was to attract a walker and, judging by the masses that had been chasing Bella and Ana and Steph and Liam when they'd arrived at the prison, there were PLENTY out there.

"I'm gonna see if I can get her 'tween the eyes. So you're gonna hafta hold REAL still for me," Daryl finally decided out loud, slowly moving towards the front of the deer, even as he backed up.

He saw Ana nod to him and she started petting the doe and murmuring to her in soothing tones again.

Daryl raised his bow and got the doe in his sights, taking a deep breath and pulling the trigger. The arrow hit her right between the eyes and he saw Ana turn her back, bringing a hand up to rest it against a nearby tree and take in slow, deep breaths.

"How are we gonna get her out of the trap?" she asked him.

"I'm on it," he replied, heading over to take out his hunting knife again and start in on severing the doe's leg.

_**~*Bella*~**_

Bella walked into the kitchen and asked Rick, "Where's Carl? I was gonna give him a riding lesson while we waited for Ana and Daryl ta get back. The boy's been practically climbin' the walls and it's been drivin' me nuts. So I thought a riding lesson would keep him busy."

"He's not with you?" Rick questioned.

"Nooo," she answered, dragging the word out, "I haven't seen in him since we rode back up here after Ana and Daryl left and he ran into the building. I thought he'd been with you this whole time. Hell I removed Gypsy's tack after we got back and made sure she had water. The other two buckets are full for when the other two get back so that Buddy and Midnight can get something to drink before Ana and I leave. I made sure that none of our things were left in our cell and I tried to pack everything we had left into the saddle bags on Gypsy's saddle."

Rick brought his hands up into his hair and gave it a little tug.

"Oh now don't go gettin' all pissyfied. We'll find him. He's gotta be around here somewhere. We'll just ask the others if they've seen him," Bella stated in a calm, cool tone.

"CARL!" Rick bellowed.

"Or we'll scream and attract walkers. That's always a good idea too," Bella said sarcastically.

Rick hurried out of the kitchen and started checking the cells.

"What's goin' on?" Maggie asked, coming out of the cell she shared with Beth.

"Have you seen Carl?" Bella inquired.

"No. I haven't seen him since breakfast," Maggie replied.

"What about you, Glenn?" Bella questioned, knowing that, if Maggie was close, Glenn couldn't be too far behind.

"I haven't seen him," Glenn called from inside the cell.

Bella nodded and started searching for the other group members.

She found Carol but Carol hadn't seen Carl. She found Hershel but Hershel hadn't seen the boy either. Finally, she found Beth.

"Beth, have you seen Carl?" she asked the blonde girl that was close to her age.

Beth nodded and answered, "I saw him in the cell that he and his dad shared. He came hurrying out with the pistol and a knife on his belt. I asked him where he was going but he wouldn't answer me. I thought he was just going to help Rick with something or to do a shift for guard duty. Was he in the tower?"

Bella sighed. She knew EXACTLY where the boy was heading.

"Follow me," Bella told her, the tone of her voice informing the girl that it was not up for debate.

Beth's eyes were full of confusion but she nodded and followed Bella back to Maggie's cell.

"Did you find him?" Maggie asked her.

"Maggie, Glenn, I want you both to round up the other members of the group, ALL of them. I want you two ta stay here and protect the group while I'm gone," Bella instructed.

"Gone?" Beth asked.

"Protect the group?" Maggie questioned.

"Okay," Glenn replied.

Apparently, he was the only one that didn't have questions.

"If Andrea gives you ANY trouble, you tell her I'll go another round with her when I get back. And this time there won't be anyone ta pull me off of her. I'll fix that ugly mug of hers," Bella commented, "If you see Rick, tell him ta STAY put. I'll find the boy. And I'll be back just as soon as I do."

"Wait, you're going out THERE?" Beth inquired, pointing to the wall of the building.

"Carl went after Ana and Daryl. He doesn't want us ta leave the group. I could feel it this morning. His sadness was literally rolling off of him in WAVES," Bella informed the small group.

Rick, Hershel, Carol, Steph, Liam, and Andrea rounded the corner and Andrea asked, "What? Your sister can predict the future and you can feel other people's emotions?"

Bella pointed to her and told Rick, "She says ONE more word in that sarcastic sneer, Rick, and I swear ta GOD I'm gonna break her ugly face."

Andrea gasped, her green eyes growing wide.

"I know where the boy is," Bella said, "And I'm gonna go after him."

"I'm coming with you," Rick replied.

"I knew you'd say that," Bella commented, "You need ta stay here, Rick. You and Glenn need ta protect the others."

"Steph and I know our way around weapons," Liam chimed in, "We can 'elp defend da group if sometin' comes up."

Bella nodded to them and looked Rick RIGHT in the eye as she pointed at him and demanded, "STAY. I MEAN it, Rick. Wait at the gate if you want to but you need to be here when I get back with the boy."

Rick's hands went up to his head, cupping the sides of his head as he turned around in a circle and then faced her again, his features portraying his anxiety.

"Oh God!" he cried, "He went outside the gate?! Why would he do that?"

"To go after Ana," Bella answered, "I could literally feel his sadness rolling off of him in WAVES this morning when we followed Ana and Daryl out to the gate, Rick. He closed the gate but refused ta move from the spot until the other two were out of sight. He just stood there, staring out the gate and watching them leave. He asked me if we could wait for 'em at the gate when the sun set but I told him not ta worry about 'em, that they'd be JUST fine. He must've decided that he wanted ta go after 'em. I guess the boy doesn't want us ta leave the group."

Rick sighed and brought one hand down to his side, running his other one down over his face.

"DAMMIT!" he cursed.

Bella started for the kitchen and Rick was quick to follow her, insisting, "I'm going with you."

But she whirled around to look up at him and point to the floor, demanding, "No you're not. You're gonna stay RIGHT here with the rest of the group. I'll FIND your son, Rick, and I'll bring him back. I won't come back 'til I find that boy. But you need ta stay here and protect the rest of the group. You need ta be here in case he comes back on his own. I don't care if you sit out there by the gate all damn day. You STAY here."

Rick didn't look too happy about it.

"Why are you so damn willing to go?" Andrea questioned, breaking into their conversation, "You don't give a SHIT about any of the members of this group."

Bella sighed and slowly turned around to face her, giving her a harsh glare that made the blonde take a couple steps back as she informed her, "Contrary to what you people think, I DO have a heart. I AM capable of feeling emotions. And, for your information, I care about a few members of this group. Carol's been nothing but kind to Ana and I since we got here. Rick's given us a place ta stay. Carl seems like a pretty decent kid. Glenn's pretty bright and he's always there ta help the group. Maggie pitches in ta help, whether she likes it or not. But what do YOU contribute to the group, Andrea? 'Cuz, other than runnin' that damn mouth off, I can't really see what it is that you supposedly do."

The blonde glared at her but didn't say anything so Bella tilted her head to one side and cried, "Oh! I know! You cause fights between the group. THAT'S what you do. You're just OOZING jealousy, hatred, disgust. But you know something else? You're after Rick ta use him any way you can, just like you tried ta do with Shane. That's why you fucked him wasn't it? Because you thought he'd take you with him when he left the group? How did that turn out for you by the way?"

Andrea's features contorted with anger and she brought her hand up to point right in Bella's face, snarling, "You fucking BITCH! You don't know ANYTHING about me!"

"Oh I know EVERYTHING about you. Your emotions are just ROLLING off of you," Bella replied, "And you'd better get that fucking finger out of my face. I don't know you? You're nothing but a damn LEECH!"

Andrea glared at her and then pulled her hand back to slap her across the face.

Bella's nostrils flared in anger and her jaw clenched just before she gave a wicked smirk.

"BIG mistake," she said, fisting both hands in the blonde's shirt and pushing her backwards to slam her into the bars of the cell Andrea had been standing in front of, "BIG mistake."

She glared at Andrea as she snarled in a quiet tone, her dark brown eyes DARING the mouthy blonde to move, "You EVER touch me again and I will kill you. I won't hesitate. Not even for a SECOND. Do I make myself clear?"

Andrea's eyes were wide with fright and they darted in Rick's direction.

"Don't look at Rick! Rick can't help you!" Bella snapped.

Andrea's eyes jumped from one member of the group to another.

"Let me tell you somethin' RIGHT now, Andrea," Bella stated, "If you EVER lay a hand on me again, NO one from this group is gonna be able to save your sorry ass. And there won't be anything left of you by the time I get done. So I'd suggest you start keepin' your mouth shut and your hands ta yourself. And if you think you can try ta get even with me for this? Think again. I'll be ready and you won't like the consequences. Now I'm gonna let you go. Don't do anything stupid."

Bella let the blonde go and headed down the hallway and out through the kitchen.

_**-=Daryl=-**_

Daryl and Ana were heading back to the prison but they were taking a different route, wanting to cover as much ground as they could to ensure that there weren't any walkers near the prison. They rode along until they came across a pond and Daryl saw the huge smile that curled Ana's lips.

"Can we stop?" she asked.

He knew the question was coming before it was even out of her mouth. She'd always been like a damn fish on dry land. She LOVED the water. She LOVED swimming.

He gave a sigh and said, "I suppose."

"You sigh but you want this as bad as I do," she teased, her tone light and her smile stretching clear across her pretty face.

She guided her mare over to a tree that wasn't too far from the pond and climbed out of the saddle, tying the reins around the tree in a fairly loose knot before grinning and running over to the dock. Daryl chuckled as he shook his head and climbed out of the saddle. He tied the gelding's reins to the tree beside the one Ana had tied her mare's to.

But his laughter was cut short and he sucked in a quick breath when he turned around. Ana was stripping down on the dock. She tugged her t-shirt up and over her head and he bit his lower lip seeing that she had a string of red roses and a skull tattooed down her back, from her left shoulder clear down to her right hip. She reached down to unbutton her jeans and slide the zipper down the track before bending over to slide them down her long, slender legs. Her skin was so tan, her body so toned. He saw that she had the tattoo of a black, tribal dragon down the inside of one of her thighs and he bit his lip, looking away.

That was his BEST friend! He shouldn't be thinking about peeling her clothes off and looking to see if she had any other tattoos. He blushed at just the thought and gave himself a good, sound mental kick for thinking of her that way.

Luckily, she only stripped down to her bra and panties but that was still MORE than enough skin exposed to make Daryl's head rush.

God he'd NEVER thought about her like that before! It was all because of what she'd told him, how she felt about him. Suddenly, everything was changing. It was like he couldn't just think of her as a friend anymore. He knew now that she was interested in him, actually INTERESTED in him. She wanted something more than just being friends. She wanted to be a COUPLE. She wanted to be his, wanted him to be hers.

She turned around to look at him and asked, "You comin' or not?"

He saw the little pout on her face, her full, sensual lips curling downward to portray her disapproval of the idea of him not joining her, and it tugged at him.

"I guess," he huffed, heading over to the dock and walking down to the end of it.

Her face lit up like the 4th of July and she brought both arms up, giving a graceful dive into the water.

He started to unbutton his shirt before realizing that she wouldn't miss them. The scars were scattered across his chest and back, ugly and undeniable. He HATED them, HATED his old man for giving them to him. Some were old, some new. Some were worse than others. But they all brought him shame.

"Daryl, you don't hafta be afraid," she said, her voice soft and gentle.

He jumped a little, not knowing that she'd surfaced already.

"I know what happened," she reminded him, swimming up to the dock and resting her arms on the wood, lifting herself out of the water a little, "No one's perfect. You have your scars and I have mine. Yours are just on the outside, where people can see them. Mine are on the inside but I can still feel them all. We're both a lot different than when we last knew each other, back before I moved. But we're still the same too. It's… hard to explain. I know. But NO one is perfect. You don't hafta be afraid or embarrassed. Those scars show what you've ENDURED, Daryl. They show how STRONG you are, not how weak you are. They're proof of all the pain you suffered through, sure. But they also show that you didn't let it beat you. You overcame it. You SURVIVED. Not everyone could've handled it the way you did. We're all flawed, Daryl, whether it's on the outside or the inside."

He'd always hated people's sympathy. But not Ana's. And she had offered him sympathy SEVERAL times during the course of their lives up to this point. He knew that she would CONTINUE to offer him sympathy in the future too. It was just… different coming from Ana. She was the only one he'd ever opened up to, the only one he'd ever truly confided in. And at least she wasn't mad at him anymore.

He nodded and finished unbuttoning his shirt, rolling his shoulders and pushing the sleeves down and off of his arms. He kicked out of his boots and tugged off his socks. He reached for the button of his jeans before looking down at her.

She just giggled as she looked up at him, replying, "Daryl, boxers are just like trunks. It's no biggie. Hell I stripped down to my bra and panties in front of you and you know how skittish I am about guys seein' me, even worse after… what happened when I was younger… with mom's boyfriend. But it's just you. And it's just me. We've known each other our WHOLE life."

Daryl gave a single little snort of laughter and rolled his eyes before popping the button his jeans and sliding the zipper down the track. He shucked his jeans and moved to the end of the dock, diving over her and into the water.

When he surfaced, he received a big splash to the face. He coughed and sputtered before narrowing his blue-gray eyes to glare at her and giving a tiny, crooked little smirk before he sent a big wave of water in her direction. He heard her give a gasp and saw the water dripping down her face, making him grin in triumph.

But he saw the sly little grin that curled her lips and knew that she was up to something.

"Oh you're in trouble now," she told him, launching herself out of the water and towards him.

She landed on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and one arm across his chest, underneath his arm, before she used her other hand to try to dunk him under the water. But he wouldn't budge. Instead, he grabbed her and tipped her backwards into the water. She screamed before going under and then started to laugh after she came back up.

"I missed you," she informed him, giving him a bright smile, "Hell I missed you more than you'll ever know."

Hearing the words made his chest tighten.

_Epiphany by Staind_

A couple hours later, Daryl sat on the dock with Ana, staring out at the water. She was sitting behind him, her arms wrapped loosely around his waist and her temple resting against the back of his shoulder.

"Did you ever think about me?" she asked, her voice soft and quiet.

"Of COURSE I thought about you," he answered, feeling completely insulted that she would even ask that question, "What kinda fuckin' question is that?"

"I thought about you EVERY day," she admitted, ignoring his question, "I wondered where you were, if you were alright, if you were happy. I hoped you were safe. I hoped you were somewhere far away from all the damn walkers."

He felt her press a kiss to his shoulder, to one of the demons he had tattooed on his back, and he tensed a little.

She pressed another one a little further down, to the other demon he had tattooed on his back, before pressing a third kiss to his skin, pressing her lips to one of his old scars this time. It was the one his old man had left on him from the time he'd used a welding torch on him.

"I still can't believe he'd do those awful things ta you. It makes me so damn mad. And I feel just AWFUL for you, Daryl. I would've gladly taken your place so that you didn't hafta feel any of the pain that man has caused you. I remember how upset you were when you'd come running ta my place after he'd done something," she murmured quietly.

He didn't say anything and she pressed her cheek to his shoulder, giving him a slight squeeze with her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry I got so mad last night… and today. I HATE arguing. You know that. And I'm sorry that I chewed your ass. And I'm REALLY sorry that I slapped you today. I'll NEVER forgive myself for that," she informed him.

He brought a hand up to place it over her arm, silently telling her that it was okay.

"I just hope I didn't hurt you too bad. I'll always be here for you. You know that… Don't you?" Ana asked him.

He just nodded.

"Just… Don't shut me out," she said in a hushed tone, "PLEASE don't shut me out. You know how I hate that. If you don't wanna talk about something, I completely understand. I'll never bring it up again unless you do. But I wanna know what you're thinking, what you're feeling. I know it's hard for you ta talk about that kinda stuff, about your feelings or your thoughts. I know it's hard for you ta put it all into words. But it's me, Daryl. It's Ana. So stop tryin' ta push me away. 'Cuz you can push all you want. I'm not goin' anywhere."

He sighed. He knew how stubborn she was. She'd gotten it from BOTH of her parents. Hell he'd learned REAL quick that she had a stubborn streak a country mile wide.

"I love you…" she whispered against the skin of his neck.

He froze and then a shiver raced down his spine.

NO one had EVER loved Daryl Dixon.

"I love you more than I've ever loved ANYONE, Daryl. I've never felt this way before, about ANYONE," she told him, "And I'm not sayin' it ta scare you. I'm not sayin' it so you feel like you hafta feel the same way. I don't expect you ta say or do anything. I'm just tellin' you 'cuz that's how I feel."

He didn't know what to tell her, how to put it into words. Words didn't come easy for Daryl. He stumbled over them and fumbled to express how he was feeling or what he was thinking. It never ended well. He always wound up getting frustrated and venting on the person. His words or his reactions always got in the damn way. He knew what he WANTED to say. He just knew that it never came out right.

She pressed a little kiss to his cheek – she was kissing him an AWFUL lot – and murmured softly, "You don't have ta censor your thoughts or sugarcoat them. I know those wheels are crankin' up there. Just say what it is you've got kickin' around up there in your head. If there's ever a time you don't wanna talk about somethin', just tell me 'I don't wanna talk about it' and I'll drop it."

"I don't know WHAT it is that I feel," he finally stated, feeling his frustration and anger rising already and knowing that it was because of his failure to phrase it the way he wanted to, "I know that I'd fight for you. I've lied for you. I'd DIE for you, Ana, without a SECOND'S hesitation. I hate the thought of any other man being with you. I hate the thought of you being unhappy or in pain. I hate the thought that you had boyfriends while I was gone. When you told me about what happened ta you when you were a girl… about how that guy touched you… I wanted ta fuckin' hunt him down and gut him. I wanted him ta die as slowly and painfully as possible. But nothing hurts me more than knowin' that I hurt you last night and today. I know you didn't mean ta slap me. I saw it in your eyes the second after you realized what you'd done. You would've given ANYTHING ta take it back. I crossed the line and you let me know it. I just… I don't know what love IS. I don't know what the fuck ta do. I don't wanna get it wrong. I don't wanna hurt you. I don't wanna make you sad or unhappy. I don't wanna piss you off again. I just want you ta be happy, no matter the cost. And I know I'm not some fuckin' romantic sap that says all the right words and does all the right things. But I'll do the best I can. You just hafta remember that I'm not perfect and I never WILL be. But I'm tryin'. You've gotta be patient and teach me what ta do."

Ana gave him another squeeze and pressed a kiss to the corner of his jaw before whispering, "That's all I'm askin' for. Just give me a chance. If it doesn't work, we'll chalk it up to a stupid idea I came up with and leave it at that. I do have another confession ta make though."

"What's that?" Daryl asked, already dreading the fact that he'd asked.

"I never slept with Aiden. I mean I did a couple things with him and my ex before him. But I'm still a virgin. I just… I couldn't. It just didn't feel… right. I mean they weren't the one, you know? I've never felt more comfortable or safer or happier than when I'm with you. So it didn't make sense ta give something to a man that I was never going ta get back unless I TRULY loved him and trusted him. I don't wanna have sex with a guy and then have him turn and walk away. It's stupid. I know," she mumbled, looking out at the water.

It wasn't stupid. He was glad she hadn't given them the privilege. But Daryl… well Daryl wasn't exactly experienced in that department. And he let her know it.

"Ana… I'm not… I haven't got… I mean I didn't…" he stammered, floundering around for the right words, "I don't have much experience with women. The only women I've ever done anything with were a couple whores that got mixed up and came ta me thinkin' that I was Merle and that I'd give 'em a fix. You know Merle dealt drugs on occasion, ta make some spare change. Hell I wouldn't even say I got ta the 'foolin' around' stage. It was just a few clumsy kisses and them pawin' at my jeans and belt, fumblin' ta get the damn thing open before I shoved 'em off of me and out of the damn truck."

"It doesn't matter," she assured him, giving him another little squeeze, "I've learned… quite a bit I guess. It's not hard. It's all about findin' out what your partner likes and doesn't like, what makes 'em feel good and what turns 'em off. It's all about exploration, give and take. My first ex liked ta take and never give. Aiden was willing ta give just as much as he got. But I'm sure you don't wanna hear about any of that. I can teach you. But there's no rush. I'd never try ta push you into something you didn't wanna do or rush you ta do something you weren't ready for. So we'll just… do whatever we want. If one of us tries something the other one isn't ready for yet or doesn't like or doesn't feel comfortable doin', then we have ta let each other know. Open communication is the most IMPORTANT part of any relationship."

He sighed. He was in a relationship? Holy SHIT! He was in a relationship!

_**-=Kyle=-**_

Kyle Ramsey sprinted headlong down the hill towards the fence that surrounded the prison. He saw a dark-haired girl on horseback, riding towards the prison and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"GO!" he bellowed, never slowing his pace as he hit flat land and raced across it towards the prison fence.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are but I was RIGHT in the middle of givin' an ass chewin-," the girl started to snarl at him.

"GO!" he repeated, "UNDEAD ARMY AT 6:00!"

The girl looked up at the hill he'd just run down and her dark brown eyes grew real wide. He knew what she'd see – the whole damn horde of zombies that had been on his tail.

He heard her tell the boy in the saddle behind her, "Hold on tight, Carl. You're about ta go for the ride of your life."

Then she nudged the horse in the flanks with her boots and the horse sped for the gate.

Kyle wasn't going to bother with the damn gate. He had another idea for getting inside that fence, one that didn't involve wasting the precious time it would take to wait for someone to open the gate for him or open it himself.

Instead, he pushed himself harder, forcing his exhausted body to run as fast as he could as he barreled towards the fence that surrounded the prison grounds. He jumped when he reached the chain-link fence, clinging to the fence and starting to scale it as quickly as he could.

He got to the top and met the damn rings of barbwire at the top so he propelled himself over it and his shirt caught on the fence. He threw his hands up into the air, shedding the shirt and hitting the ground on the other side of the fence.

He landed in a squatted position, panting as the sweat dripped from his body. He slowly raised his head and looked out past his near-shoulder length, brown hair. He saw a group of people coming out of one of the buildings on the prison grounds and the girl on horseback guiding her horse closer to him.

Kyle got to his feet, his chest and washboard abs still rising and falling with his heavy breaths, and the raven-haired girl gave him a small nod and a little smirk, commenting, "Not too shabby."

He just smirked right back and asked, "Are we talkin' about my fence-climbin' skills or my looks?"

Her smirk stretched wider and she guided her horse so that its ass was facing him as she headed towards the building.

"When I decide, I'll letcha know!" she retorted, her back to him so that she had to shout the words to be heard.

He actually gave a little snort of laughter at that.

**Hey, it's me again. Well thanks for reading and don't hesitate to tell me all your thoughts. It's been so great hearing from you so far and I can't wait to see what you think of the next chapter.**

**Libby**


	6. Chapter 6 - Hope for Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**** Welcome back. How nice to see you. I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far. Just one more chapter after this and that's all I have posted so far. I hope that I can get ideas together for chapter 8 soon. Anyway, on with the story…**

**Chapter 6: Hope for Tomorrow**

_**-=Rick=-**_

Rick rushed right over to his son and drew him into his arms.

"God what were you thinking, Carl?" he scolded, "You could've been KILLED out there!"

Rick stole a glance at Bella even as he leaned down to press a kiss to the top of his son's head and hugged him tight. He honestly didn't know if he could handle losing Carl. He'd already lost his best friend, Lori, and countless other members of the group that he'd grown close to.

"You don't hafta chew my ass," Carl informed him, "Bella hounded me ALL the way back to the prison grounds."

Rick cocked his head to one side and glanced over at Bella, who just gave him a single, downward nod.

"The boy needs ta keep his shit in line," Bella commented, "He can't just go runnin' out there into the middle of walker territory 'cuz he thinks it's not dangerous. He might be able ta handle one or two at a time, but he can't handle a whole horde of those fuckers."

Carl nodded and replied, "I know that now."

"Thank you," Rick told Bella, giving her a nod of appreciation, his blue-gray eyes showing sincere gratitude.

"It's not a problem. I told ya I wouldn't come back 'til I found him," she reminded him.

He nodded to her and looked down at his son again to ask him, "Carl, why did you even go outside of the gate? What was it that you were after?"

"I wanted ta find Ana and Daryl," Carl stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "I wanted ta convince Ana ta stay with the group. I don't wanna lose her, dad. She's been so nice ta everyone here and she's always helpin' out around the prison. I don't want her ta go."

Rick nodded and agreed, "I don't either. But if that's what she wants, son, we've gotta let her go."

Carl gave a pout and hung his head, pulling out of Rick's arms and starting for the prison building.

"Carl, you stop RIGHT there!" Bella demanded.

The boy froze and slowly turned around to face her.

"He's your father, don't you walk away from him," Bella told the boy, "You should be thankful you still have yours. And don't you go wanderin' off by yourself anymore, you hear me? I notice that you're gone and I'm gonna go lookin' for you again. And I will drag your ass back to the group, kickin' and screamin'. So don't tempt me."

He sighed but nodded and remained rooted to the spot.

Rick was impressed. None of the other group members had tried correcting Carl or scolding him except for Beth. Rick was usually the only one to say anything when Carl got out of line.

Rick looked over at the rest of the group and saw them all staring at Bella. He saw the way they looked at her. It was as if the half of the group that hadn't previously voted to keep the Spenser sisters in the group was finally seeing that Bella was capable of caring for the members of the group, that she was willing to go out of her way to help them out, to make sure that they were safe. Well, all except for Andrea, who just glared steadily at the girl.

Bella pointed at Rick and reminded him, "I TOLD you that boy was feeling down after Ana and Daryl left. I could feel it when we rode out there to let them out of the gate and close it behind them. My… 'senses' are never wrong."

Rick nodded to her and saw that the rest of the group was staring at Bella in awe.

"So you can really feel other people's emotions?" Beth asked curiously.

Bella nodded and said, "Yeah. I can."

"Looks like you really got your ass handed to ya, little man," the newcomer of the group commented, coming over to ruffle Carl's hair and smile down at him, "I take it the big sis is a BIT overprotective then?"

"She's not my sister," Carl replied, even as Bella informed him, "I'm not his sister."

"My bad," the guy said, putting both hands up in the air to show that he meant no harm.

Rick chuckled a little at that. Bella HAD acted like a protective older sister.

Rick looked at the man and gave him a nod, asking, "What's your name?"

"Kyle," the guy answered, "Kyle Ramsey."

"Well… Welcome ta the group, Kyle," Rick stated, "We've got a couple more comin' back, sometime soon I hope. But this is most of our group."

He pointed out each of the members of the groups, telling Kyle their names. They each nodded to him and he gave a nod and smile in their direction. He seemed just as charismatic as Liam was.

Liam looked at the Carl and informed him, "If ya would've been ME son, I would've givin' ya an ass chewin' you'd never ferget. Ya could've godden 'urt out dare, boyo. Ya godda use yer 'ead. Ana's comin' back ya know. Just talk ta 'er den. Tell 'er ya don't want 'er ta go."

Carl pouted again but reminded the group, "Half of the group doesn't want her ta stay. Why would she stay? And her and Daryl seemed ta be at odds with each other."

"Well, hopefully they worked things out. That's why I sent the two of them out on the huntin' trip together," Rick informed his son.

Bella shook her head and said, "Oh ya don't hafta worry about those two. They'd NEVER let anything happen to each other. So it's not the walkers you've gotta worry about getting' to 'em. What ya DO hafta worry about is them killin' EACH OTHER."

Kyle and Liam both laughed and Rick motioned for everyone to follow him into the building.

_**~*Ana*~**_

Ana and Daryl were heading back towards the prison just as the sun was sinking towards the horizon.

"I can't wait ta see their faces when they see us come back with these deer," Ana commented, smiling over at Daryl.

His lips twitched and she laughed, pointing out, "You wanna smile. You KNOW you want to."

He chuckled and cracked a little smile, nodding his head.

"Yeah. I bet they'll like deer better than some of the other stuff I've caught and fixed for 'em. They're not really a fan of squirrel or possum but they'll eat it. I've caught rabbits and coons before too. They ate it 'cuz it was all we had. But once we got there to the prison… Well they weren't too eager ta eat 'varmints'," he explained.

Ana giggled and shook her head before telling him, "Yeah well… Bella and I ate all KINDS of things. We ate anything we could catch while we were out on the run. We didn't have the luxury of findin' the farm or the prison like you guys did earlier on."

"Well that lake was a pretty refreshing," he commented.

She nodded and agreed, "Yeah. I loved it. It sure as hell beats a shower. It was just like we were kids again, splashin' around and stuff."

He chuckled and nodded his head, asking, "You remember that time we snuck out of our houses ta go down ta that old pond one night after it was dark? God I don't think we got back home 'til the sun was comin' up."

She laughed and nodded her head, asking, "How the hell could I forget? That was the day my damn bikini top broke and you wound up givin' me your shirt ta cover up with. You blushed as red as a damn tomato!"

"Well your…" he started to say before he trailed off.

"My tits were hangin' out?" she finished for him.

"Yeah," he said with a nod.

She laughed and teased lightly, "When are you gonna learn that it's not gonna kill ya ta come out and say stuff, Daryl? You're as bold as they come when it comes to most things. Then, when it comes ta women, you're as shy as can be and ya blush as much as a damn virgin."

He blushed a bright shade of red and looked away from her.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry! Daryl, I didn't mean to-," she started ta say.

"I know ya didn't," he interrupted her to say, "Ya just forgot. But you're a virgin too, remember?"

"Doesn't mean I haven't done a lot of other stuff," she pointed out.

"Can we not talk about this?" he questioned, fidgeting a bit in the saddle.

She could tell that he was uncomfortable so she dropped the subject and switched to a different one, stating, "I don't really wanna leave the group."

He looked over at her and inquired, "It was because of me, wasn't it?"

She nodded and looked in the other direction.

"You still mad?" he asked, his voice soft.

"No," she answered, shaking her head and looking over at him, "I just… How the hell am I supposed ta tell them that I wanna stay now? They think I'm so dead-set on leaving."

"I'll tell 'em it was all my fault," he replied.

"Daryl-," she started to say.

"It was," he cut her off to point out, "It was MY fault and I know it, Ana. But now that you know… how I feel about you… Won't you stay? I wasn't lyin' when I said I'd go with ya if you left."

"I'll have ta talk ta Rick. I don't really wanna go. I just… I couldn't stand the thought of stickin' around if you hated me," she finally admitted.

"Ana, I could NEVER hate you," Daryl informed her, "No matter WHAT happens, no matter WHAT you do or say, I could NEVER hate you."

She nodded and looked down at the saddle before saying quietly, "I know that now. And I could never hate you either. You might REALLY push my buttons sometimes. But I could never hate you."

He chuckled at that and she smiled at him, laughing a little.

"You wanna sleep in my cell tonight?" he inquired.

"You WANT me ta sleep in your cell tonight?" she questioned, cocking one brown brow at him.

He gave her a "REALLY?" look and then hinted, "I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't okay with it."

"Well only if you're not gonna change your mind later and throw a hissy fit," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

He gave her a fake glare before cracking up and reassuring her, "Nah. It's fine. Ta be honest, I'd really rather you started sleepin' in my cell anyway. I can keep an eye on ya then. I'll know you're safe, that I can protect ya."

She smiled at him and said, "Well I've never been more comfortable than when I'm wrapped up tight in your arms. I feel safe and warm and cozy."

She was quick to bite her lip, realizing what she'd just done. While she wasn't one to hold back her opinions or her emotions, she didn't want to overwhelm him with this "touchy feely shit" as he'd call it.

"Sorry," she was quick to apologize.

He just nodded to her and she saw the corner of his mouth twitch. He was fighting back a smile. That made HER smile. Maybe they really HAD worked everything out.

"Think I could get ya ta sing for me sometime?" she asked him, stealing a peek at him out of the corner of her eye.

"NOT a chance," he replied, laughing.

She pouted but nodded, telling him, "All right. I won't push ya."

She giggled and he looked over at her, questioning, "What?"

"Ya know, there's nothin' I miss more than the damn radio. Some form of music, ANY kind of music," she said.

He chuckled, nodding and commenting, "You always were a music addict. God I think you listened ta music 24/7 except for when you were asleep. Hell ya even had a little radio in the bathroom so you could listen ta music while ya were in the shower!"

She nodded, laughing right along with him. She couldn't deny it.

"There was this one country song that I heard the day before the damn zombie apocalypse kicked off," she informed him, her hazel eyes gazing ahead of them as they rode along, "I've heard it playin' in my head from time ta time. I had this Florida Georgia Line CD while I was at college. There was this one song I just LOVED. It was called Dayum Baby."

He chuckled and teased, "Leave it ta you."

"Hey, baby, listen. You got me twistin', watchin' you sippin' on that drink. I saw ya smile back and I didn't miss that 'it's on a little later on' wink. And your song comes on. Ya dance along. I can't believe how bad you got me like 'Dayum, baby. Dayum, baby, dayum.' I love standin' here watchin' you breakin' it down, baby. Down, baby, down. You keep pullin' me in when you spinnin' around, baby. 'Round, baby, 'round. I can see you'll probably be keepin' me up all night. Yeah but that's all right. 'Cause, girl, ya got me like 'Dayum, baby. Dayum, baby, dayum'. Yeah ya got me like 'Dayum, baby. Dayum, baby, dayum'," she sang.

She looked over at him and saw him watching her. She gave a grin and continued on singing the song.

_Dayum Baby by Florida Georgia Line_

It wasn't too much longer before they saw the fence surrounding the prison come into view.

"Shit!" he cursed, seeing all the walkers surrounding the fence, snarling and rattling the fence.

He looked over at her and she saw the fierce determination in his eyes as he told her, "You get behind me and you STAY behind me."

She shook her head and said, "Daryl, I'm not gonna let you charge right in there and put yourself in more danger than I'm in. We're gonna do this TOGETHER."

He sighed but nodded. She knew that HE knew she wasn't going to back down on this. It would only lead to an argument and they didn't have time for that.

"Your gun loaded?" he asked her.

She nodded and replied, "I checked it before we even headed out and I haven't had ta use it yet. You'll hafta use the shotgun I packed for you 'cuz it takes two hands ta use your crossbow."

He nodded and they both eased their guns out of the holsters on the saddles, flipping the safety off.

"All right," he commented, giving a nod.

She nodded to him in return and nudged her mare in the flanks with her boots, crying, "HA!"

They raced for the gate, both of them taking out any walkers that stood between them and the gate. Ana knew that Daryl would want to go on ahead of her to open the gate. He wouldn't let her put herself in any more danger than she needed to be and he'd chew her ass for DAYS if she disobeyed him and put herself at risk anyway.

Ana saw the group filing out of cell block C out of the corner of her eye as she and Daryl approached the horde. Just as she'd figured, Daryl cut Buddy in in front of Midnight to head for the gate. Her gun jammed and she muttered a cursed "Shit!" but started to improvise, using the butt of the gun to smack walkers in the face if they got too close to her or her mare.

Rick, Liam, Glenn, and the new guy came rushing for the gate, starting to shoot at some of the walkers that were closer to the gate while Bella worked at getting the gate open. Daryl reined Buddy in and motioned Ana to go on in ahead of him, always putting her safety first.

Once they were inside the gate, Bella closed it again, chaining it and locking it tight.

"Ana?" she heard a now-familiar voice call to her.

Her hazel eyes scanned the group and she found him, smiling as she greeted, "It's all right, Carl. We made it back all right. And we've even got food for the group."

She gestured to the deer that was tied onto the back of both her and Daryl's saddles.

"Wow!" Rick commented, "You guys did really good, I see."

"So we'll have meat for a while now," Ana reassured the boy.

"We?" Rick asked her.

"Ana's stayin'," Daryl informed the group.

All of them but Andrea nodded to her, smiling to show their gratitude for the food she'd provided for them, yet AGAIN.

"Come on, bud," Ana told Carl, gesturing with a jerk of her head for him to come closer.

She held out her hand and asked, "You wanna ride back to the cell block with me?"

He grinned up at her and gave an enthusiastic nod, taking her hand and swinging up into the saddle behind her to wrap his arms around her waist.

Ana didn't miss the smile Rick gave her. Or the nod that followed it. No words were needed. She knew that he couldn't be more thankful that she had provided for the group again. And she knew that he was happy she'd decided to stay.

_**-=Glenn=-**_

Rick and Liam both hoisted a deer over their shoulders and carried them into the building while Daryl and Ana removed the horses' tack.

Bella took the weapons into the cell block and Glenn heard Ana tell her sister, "Mine's jammed."

"WHAT?!" Daryl practically roared, turning around to glare at her, "Why didn't you tell me it was jammed? I asked you before we even started into that horde-,"

"Daryl, it was JUST fine when we started towards that horde. It jammed when we were getting closer to the gate and I had ta start hittin' 'em in the face ta get 'em ta back up. Had it been jammed before we started in there, I would've told you. I knew you'd panic and put yourself at even MORE risk if you knew-," she started to explain.

"Daryl, she did what you would've done in her situation," Glenn pointed out.

Daryl glared at him and stormed off into the building. Ana threw her hands up in the air and shook her head, stating, "I just can't win for losin'. I thought I'd fixed everything with him on that huntin' trip. I swear he wasn't this hard ta get along with when we were kids."

Steph motioned for her to come over and stand next to her and she walked over to Steph. Steph draped an arm over her shoulders, guiding her towards the cell block.

Glenn shook his head. He knew that Daryl was only mad because Ana had put herself at risk without letting Daryl know. But he also understood why she hadn't told Daryl. She was right. Daryl would've panicked and he could've gotten hurt.

While Glenn wouldn't make the mistake of saying it again, he knew that Daryl cared about Ana. He just didn't understand why Daryl had gone and hurt her feelings again. Then again, Daryl had grown up in a rough childhood. While he wouldn't talk about it, Glenn had tried to piece it together over the time the group had been together. He hoped that Daryl and Ana would be able to work things out AGAIN. But he wasn't going to intervene. He wasn't stupid. He knew Daryl would bite his head off again.

He shook his head and motioned for the rest of the group to go ahead and head into the building.

The group made their way into the building and they gathered around in the kitchen as Ana informed Rick, "In order to smoke the meat and make it last longer, we're gonna hafta take the deer back outside to skin them and slice the meat off. We'll have to make a fire and cook the meat over it. The fire will probably draw more walkers but, as long as the fence around the prison grounds is secure, we shouldn't have to worry about any walkers gettin' through."

"Why don't you guys skin the deer here in the kitchen? There are the countertops or the table. You're free ta use whatever you think would work best," Rick told her.

Bella helped Ana get one of the deer over to the table and Ana reassured the group, "Don't worry. We'll clean it down REAL well after we get done with skinnin' both of 'em."

Bella fetched Ana's knives and Daryl commented, "I'll get this one over here if you get the other one."

Later that night, while the meat was roasting over the fire, the group had gathered around in a big circle. Liam sat next to Carl, his arm draped around Steph's shoulders as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Beth was seated between Steph and Hershel. Maggie was seated on the other side of her and Beth's father, leaning against Glenn as he wrapped an arm loosely around her waist and rested his chin on top of her head. Carol took a seat between Andrea and Daryl since Daryl had sat across from Ana, Glenn on his other side. Glenn hadn't missed the dejected expression on Ana's face but she'd sat between her sister and Rick. Bella made sure that Kyle sat between her and Andrea. This left Carl to sit beside Rick as Rick held his daughter in his arms.

Glenn looked around at the group as Ana passed meat out to the members of the group and Carol went around the circle, handing everyone half a baked potato to go with their meat. They all dug in heartily and voiced their thanks to Carol, Daryl, and Ana for preparing the meal for them.

"So," Rick said, trying to break the ice, "I don't mean ta put ya on the spot, Kyle, but why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?"

"Well," Kyle spoke up, "I don't know if there's much ta tell ta be honest. I played football in high school and I was all excited about goin' ta college there in Alabama, playin' for the Crimson Tide. But that didn't exactly work out. My buddy from high school – man I'd known the guy since we were just toddlin' around in our front yards next door to each other – and I were on the run after the damn zombie apocalypse broke out. We'd been on the run for about 4 months when we got caught up by a horde of the fuckers. I did EVERYTHING I could but I just… I couldn't save him."

"So you've been out there by yourself for the past 2 months?" Glenn asked, impressed.

"Yeah," Kyle answered, "Might not have been easy but I did whatever it took ta survive. I got good at raidin' stores and shit. I had a back pack but I dropped it when this last horde caught up with me. I knew I'd be able ta run faster without the damn thing. It was a shame though. It had a bunch of supplies stashed in it."

"Ours too," Liam and Steph informed him.

Glenn cleared his throat and asked, "So… I'm sure we've all lost things over the course of runnin' from the herds. What is it that everyone misses most?"

"That's easy," Ana answered, "Music, dancing, and chocolate."

Everyone laughed and Glenn smiled. She was a simple kind of woman.

"Technology in general," Bella stated.

"Desperate Housewives," Andrea said.

"Being able to get a decent night's sleep," Carol spoke up.

"Playin' football with my high school team," Kyle chimed in.

"Life on the farm," Hershel commented.

"When the only worries I had were what was I gonna get called out ta do that day as sheriff and the small fights Lori and I used ta have," Rick answered.

Carl laughed and replied, "When all I had ta worry about was gettin' my homework done."

Everyone laughed at that.

"When all I 'ad ta worry about were da neighbors makin' noise complaints," Liam joked, giving a little smirk.

Steph elbowed him in the ribs as everyone but Carl and Beth laughed.

The rest of the group didn't have a comment on the subject. So Glenn asked another question.

"So what's the first thing everyone's gonna do when this is all over?" he questioned.

"Oh that's another easy one. I'm gonna find a half gallon of Rocky Road ice cream if there's any left, curl up on my bed, and watch Boondock Saints before spendin' the rest of the night playin' songs and dancin' my ass off," Ana replied.

"Fuck that!" Bella told her sister, "I'm gonna find my phone and text every single ONE of my contacts. See if anyone replies."

"How the hell you girls plan on doin' that? The power will still be out, ya know?" Daryl pointed out.

Both girls pouted and gave a nod before Ana said, "Well fine. Then I wanna find a good man and settle down, start a family, just the 'normal' life."

Rick smiled at her and Glenn didn't miss it. Wasn't that what EVERYONE wanted? To find a loved one and spend the rest of their lives together?

"Well said," Steph commented, nodding to Ana, who smiled at her and gave a little nod of her own.

"You've already got yours," Ana teased her, sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes at the other woman.

Steph just laughed and the other members of the group joined in.

"I'm sure you'll find one," Steph reassured her, "You've got a real big heart."

Ana gave her a smile and looked down at her lap, saying, "Thanks."

"What's the first meal you're gonna fix after this is over? What would be your celebration feast of choice?" Glenn inquired.

"Corn beef hash with corn in it," Ana informed the group, "And toast with butter and apple butter."

"That shit's GROSS! Country fried steak and mashed potatoes," Bella chimed in.

"Fried chicken, milk gravy, and mashed potatoes," Kyle stated.

"Chili and grilled cheese," Carl answered.

"I like the sound of that," Rick agreed, nodding to his son.

"Grilled rib eye steak, grilled corn on the cob, and a baked potato on the grill," Daryl said.

"Fettuccine alfredo," Andrea commented.

"Chicken parmesan, salad, and a breadstick," Maggie answered.

"Daryl's gonna call me Asian for this, but mandarin chicken, sesame chicken, and fortune cookies," Glenn told the group.

They all laughed and that and Daryl nodded to him, smiling.

The rest of the group answered the question and they all branched off into small talk in small groups of two or three.

_**-=Liam=-**_

Liam and Steph were the last ones to head towards the cell block. He'd planned it of course. She'd mentioned earlier that she wanted to turn in but he'd just told her that he didn't want them to seem rude so they'd stay just a few more minutes, just long enough for some of the others to head into the building. She'd agreed. But he'd had ulterior motives.

So, as they headed down the hallway towards cell block C, he gently wrapped his hand around her wrist and directed her in a different direction, leading her towards the shower room.

"Liam, what are you DOING?" she hissed in a whisper.

"Ah come on, love," he coaxed, his voice a soft murmur, "Dare's notin' wrong wit wantin' ta 'ave a nice, 'ot shower wit da one ya love before turnin' in ta go ta bed. 'Sides, it'll make us sleep bedder if we get our bodies all nice and warm."

She shook her head at him and rolled her eyes, teasing lightly, "I should've known. You've always got SOMETHING up your sleeve."

He gave her a cocky, crooked grin and led her over to a shower in the far corner of the showers.

"I already planned dis all out dis mornin'," he informed her, "I've got our close over dare on one o' dose benches."

Steph laughed and he reached out to catch the hem of her shirt in his hands, slowly working it up her sides. After a couple moments' hesitation, she finally raised her arms and let him ease it up and over her head, tossing it away from them. Her bra was the next thing to go before he reached back to take the back of his shirt in his hands, tugging it up and over his head. He smirked as he saw her eyes raking over his body. He wasn't stupid. He knew that she admired his figure. The way she was taking the time to let her eyes rake over his body only helped to seal the deal for him.

"We're only 'alfway dare, Steph," he reminded her, reaching down for his belt to unfasten the buckle and pop the button on his jeans open.

She just nodded and reached down to do the same with her shorts. They stripped down in unison before they both took the time to let their eyes roam over their lover.

"GOD yer beautiful!" he cried.

He was always awed by how stunning she looked. Her figure was PERFECT. She had large, full breasts, a slender waist, and hips that had a sexy flare to them. Her legs were long and toned. And her ass was well-rounded and ample enough to fill his big hands and spill between his fingers a little. Her skin was sun-bronzed and her body was firm with muscle. But those bright, blue-gray eyes, those full, pouty lips, and that cute nose of hers were what really added to the affect. He loved her, ALL of her. She had it ALL. And she had a wicked sense of humor, a bold personality, and a fun-loving attitude to go with it.

Liam turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up. As he waited, he felt her come up behind him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing herself into him from behind. He felt her breasts mold to his back and she slowly worked her hands and fingertips up over his washboard abs. When her hands got to his chest, she cupped his pecs and pressed a kiss to his back.

"Is it ready yet?" she asked from behind him, her voice a warm, sultry purr against his skin.

"I tink it's warm enough, love," Liam reassured her, stepping completely under the spray.

She followed him but he was surprised when her hand roamed down and around his body to wrap it firmly around his cock, repeating, "Is it ready yet?"

"Oh ya give me a few more minutes and it sure will be!" he replied.

Hell the blood was already rushing in that direction as it was since he'd seen her naked and felt her press herself up against him. But with her hand wrapped around him? It wouldn't take long at all to be up and ready for her. And when she started to work her fist up and down the length of his cock, he clenched his jaw, his nostrils flaring, and gave a low growl.

"Mmm… He's gettin' there, isn't he?" she teased lightly, gently biting at the firm muscles of his back, "Come on, Liam. I know you've got it in ya."

He groaned and reached down to ease her hand away to turn around and face her, gazing down at her. She gasped as she looked up at him. He knew what she'd see. His eyes would be as dark as a summer's storm and clouded over with lust.

"'Ow about you, love?" he asked, reaching out to wrap one arm around her and tug her right up against him, "Are YOU ready fer ME?"

She nibbled at her bottom lip and nodded to him. He gave her that crooked little smirk again and slowly skimmed his opposite hand up the inside of her thigh, his fingers teasing her skin as he worked his way further and further north. When he met his destination, he used a couple fingertips to part her lips and then stroked them over her slit, snarling as he found that she was, in fact, wet for him. Hell she was REALLY wet for him! That was all it took. He was MORE than ready for her then.

"I've godda talk ta Rick about findin' a way ta fix some fuckin' stalls up in dis place," he told her.

She giggled and said, "We'll just hafta get crafty."

He nodded to her and smirked down at her before bringing his hands down to fill them with her ass, hoisting her up onto his hips and spinning around to back her up into the pillar closest to them. She gasped as her back hit the cold tiles and he gave her a wolfish grin before giving a quick flick of his hips, sliding inside of her. She gasped at the sudden intrusion and her head tipped back to rest against the pillar as she brought her arms up under his arms. Her hands gripped at his shoulder blades and she hitched her thighs further up his waist, wanting to angle her hips so that he'd hit her in JUST the right spot.

Liam smirked as heard her gasp again. The sound echoed throughout the room and he took pride in that. But it had been a while since they'd been able to have sex. That was one of the many downfalls of being on the run constantly. Now that they were safe and comfortable, considering the zombie apocalypse that was raging on outside the fence that surrounded the prison grounds, they were able to take pleasure in the small things.

"Oh! Fuck! Liam!" she practically panted.

"I know, love," he replied, "I'm not gonna last long either."

But he knew that she didn't care. They were both lucky as hell to be able to experience this right now, even if it was in the shower room of a rundown prison.

He looked into her eyes and found his rhythm, working his hips in slow but hard thrusts to drag out her pleasure but also ensure that he was able to slide deep inside of her. He angled his hips a bit and thrust a little harder. She gave a loud moan and he felt her nails sink into his shoulders. His nostrils flared. He loved the pleasure-pain sensation. It only fueled the fire within him and he grew hungrier for her, leaning down to crush his lips to hers. She moaned into his mouth as he picked up speed and intensity until he was practically fucking her right into the pillar. He just hoped it would hold their weight.

Steph clung to him tightly, her nails sinking into his skin and her thighs gripping him tight as he pounded into her, grunting and panting as he buried his face into the crook of her neck. She tipped her head back again, her eyes drifting shut, and started to grow more vocal. He knew it was just a matter of time before she came undone.

And it wasn't long at all before she was whining and clawing at his back, pulsing around him and panting as she reached her release. But he was right behind her, giving a deep, rumbling growl as spilled himself inside of her.

When he was finally able to trust his legs, he carefully set her down and asked, "Now… Shall we wash up?"

She just grinned up at him.

_**-=Rick=-**_

The next morning, Rick walked into the kitchen to find Bella sitting up on the countertop while Carol and Ana were deciding what to fix for breakfast. Daryl offered to take Judith from Rick and feed the baby her bottle. Ana had already fixed one up, knowing that the baby would be hungry when she woke up.

Carl came into the kitchen not long after Rick did and Ana motioned the boy right over, asking him, "Do you know how ta peel a potato, mini man?"

The boy laughed and shook his head, replying, "No."

"Well I'd say it's about time ya learned, now don't you? If you're old enough ta carry a gun, sweetie, you're old enough ta learn how ta cook. There's NO shame in a man knowin' how ta cook. Truth be told? Women LOVE a man that can cook. They don't want a man that they're gonna hafta take care of. They want a man that can help out around the place. I know I sure do at least. I want a man that's gonna help me out just as much as I help him out," she informed the boy.

Rick smiled at that. She was trying to convince him that it was helpful to the process of him growing up.

"Ya wanna know somethin' else?" Ana questioned.

The boy nodded for her to continue and she told him, "Someday, you'll be able ta take care of yourself. Ya won't hafta depend on anyone else. So if you know how ta cook and do your laundry and stuff, how ta protect yourself and how ta fix stuff, you'll be about 10 steps ahead of the rest of the boys your age. The women will be trippin' over themselves ta get to ya and you'll get to sit back and relax 'cuz you know you've got everything covered."

The boy grinned and laughed at that, making Rick chuckle.

"Ya sure know how ta stroke a man's ego," Rick teased her.

She just laughed and shook her head, stating, "Every kid needs ta know how ta take care of themselves. Most boys think that cooking, cleaning, and laundry are women's chores. They don't stop to realize that they'll have to do all of their own when they get out on their own someday. If they don't learn, they'll be dependent on others all their lives. They'll never grow up or take responsibility. Carl here's turnin' out ta be a MIGHTY fine young man. And, as a young man, I think it would be good for him ta learn ta start pitchin' in and helpin' out around here more often. He's a member of the group after all."

Rick nodded and looked at his son, commenting, "I think she's right. It wouldn't hurt ya ta have some chores around here."

Hell he was just thankful that Ana was asserting herself as a woman that was interested in looking after Carl and that she was stepping up to take on a maternal role for the boy. None of the other women had. Andrea never said two words to the boy. Carol only scolded him gently when she thought he really needed it. Maggie praised him when she thought he'd done something well. And Beth scolded him whenever she thought he needed it. But the boy needed some sort of motherly guidance and, if Ana was the one to give it to him, then so be it.

So Rick watched as Ana showed his son how to peel potatoes and slice them.

"Now you hold your potato firmly, so ya don't drop it," Ana told him, "And you wanna cut towards yourself. But cut slowly, gently. The last thing ya want is for your knife ta slip and you cut yourself. Don't dig in too deep or you'll lose too much of the potato. Once we get done skinnin' the potatoes, we're gonna slice 'em up into thin circles and we'll fry 'em. We've got some smoked deer jerky left that we can have instead of bacon. Or do you want sausage?"

"What about sausage?" Carl suggested, "We could save the deer jerky for lunch or supper."

She nodded to him and said, "All right. That sounds fine by me. What do you think, Carol?"

"I think we've got enough," Carol replied, "It's awful nice ta have your help, Carl."

The boy smiled at first Carol and then Ana.

"Am I doing it right?" he asked, gazing down at his hands as he worked on peeling his first potato.

Ana nodded to him and assured him, "That's JUST fine. And once ya get done with that one, I'll give ya another one. We've gotta get PLENTY of potatoes peeled ta fill the group."

He nodded and Rick smiled.

Once the potatoes were peeled, the three of them worked on slicing them up and tossing them into a pan. Ana showed Carl how to turn the potatoes or sausage links when it was time to flip them and then let him take over cooking the potatoes to go over and silently reach out for Judith.

She gave Daryl a "Let me have her" look and gently eased the baby out of his arms as he nodded to her. Ana tucked the baby girl in close to her chest and bounced her gently, resting one arm under her head and her other hand under the girl's little butt.

"You're such a sweetie, ya know that, baby girl?" she crooned gently, smiling down at the girl.

"Did you burp her, Daryl?" Ana asked.

He shook his head and she shook her head at him for his lack of doing so before she went to fetch a hand towel and lay it over her shoulder. She rested the girl against her shoulder and gently patted her back, crooning to her softly as she did so.

"Come on, little one, get it all outta there. We don't wanna leave it in there or you could get colic. And that's a bitch, trust me. Bella used ta get it ALL the time and she'd keep me up all night, just walkin' her around and pattin' her little back. God she had it somethin' AWFUL."

Rick smiled as he watched the woman with his daughter.

The others started filing in and Rick watched as Ana smiled at all of them and wished them a good morning. She helped carry the plates around and pass them out to everyone as Carol dished them up, giving the members of the group a bright, friendly smile as she did, making small talk with a few of them.

Rick had noticed a bit of a change in Ana today. While she was always quick to pitch right in and help out with whatever had to be done around the prison, she was becoming more involved with the group, paying special attention to the members of the group and taking the time to talk to them, to ask them how they were doing or how their day was going. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she now knew that she and Bella would be staying with the group.

After breakfast was done, Ana took Carl outside and told Rick he was more than welcome to come out with them since she'd be teaching Carl how to care for the horses and then give him another riding lesson. He could see the spark of excitement in the boy's hazel eyes so he followed after them, leaving Judith with Carol since Maggie had volunteered to wash the dishes since she hadn't helped prepare the meal that morning.

Daryl and Kyle followed them out since they were going to be taking the first watch that morning. They headed on up to the tower and Rick could faintly hear Daryl giving the newcomer the rundown. He was apparently good with a gun and he wasn't too shabby with handheld weapons either. Rick was definitely thankful that Ana and Bella had come into the group and that they had helped bring three more members of the group to help keep them safe and the grounds secure.

Rick leaned against the wall of the cell block as Ana had Carl help her fill up the water buckets for the horses and carry them over to their usual spots in the shade. She greeted each of the horses, petting them and talking to them, showering the three of them with plenty of affection. She showed Carl how to run his hand down their legs and down to the spot just above their hoof, the pastern, pinching slightly so that the horse would lift their foot. Then she looked at their hooves. She showed him how to dig rocks out with a knife but informed him to stay away from the frog of the horse's hoof because it was sensitive and it would hurt the horses if it was injured.

"We don't wanna leave any rocks in their hooves or it'll make it hard for them ta walk," Ana told the boy as he helped her clean out the horses' hooves.

After that was done, she showed him how to run his fingers through their manes and tails so that they could work the tangles out.

"I know it sucks ta hafta do this and it takes time but we've gotta do it the hard way since we don't have any grooming equipment ta do it the easy way. After this, I'll show ya how ta tack the horses up and I'll give ya another riding lesson. You've already learned how ta swing up into the saddle and how ta slide out of it. You learned that in the first lesson. The second lesson you had was spent teachin' ya how ta get the horse to go, how to stop, and how to turn right or left. So we'll see if you can walk your horse along next to mine today, just around in a few circles at a walk, nothin' fancy," Ana explained.

Rick smiled as he saw his son grinning from ear to ear and chattering away to the woman. She was really starting to form a bond with the boy and she was teaching him how to help out and do some chores around the prison and the prison grounds. The boy could've used a good friend and role model. He needed someone to teach him responsibility but, quite frankly, Rick was often too busy as the leader of the group to teach his son some of the valuable lessons he needed to learn. He couldn't be more thankful for having Ana step in and fill the role.

So he watched Carl have his third riding lesson that day, smiling all the while. Things were finally starting to look up for the group. He just hoped nothing would come along and ruin that.

_**~*Andrea*~**_

Andrea was heading down the hall later that afternoon, making her way towards the kitchen, when she overheard Rick talking to Glenn.

"Ya know I couldn't be more thankful that Ana's taken Carl under her wing. She's taught him quite a bit in one day alone. Hell she showed him how ta cook breakfast there this morning. She taught him how ta groom the horses this afternoon and gave him another riding lesson. She just took him ta help wash laundry, fold it, and pass it out to the group. He really seems ta be growin' fond of her. I think it's good for him. He needs a good mother figure since Lori…" Rick said before trailing off, unable to finish his last sentence.

"I don't think anyone could teach him better than Ana can," Glenn agreed, "She's really stepped up and become a valued member of the group. She's done more for this group than any of the other women have ta be honest. I know I shouldn't say it but it's true. And she does men's jobs too, jobs that you or Daryl or I would normally do. She's good for this group, Rick. And, I think if we have another vote, the group will vote ta keep her and Bella this time. Hell even HERSHEL is growin' fond of the girls. You know Ana sat and talked with him last night? She checked on him ta see if his leg was givin' him any problems, and they wound up talkin' for over an hour last night."

Rick chuckled and nodded, commenting, "She's just that way. She's like that with everyone. I mean she's always willing ta pitch right in and help out with whatever has ta be done around the place. I noticed today that she's become more involved with the group though. Quite frankly, I couldn't be happier ta have her in the group. She's like a light in the darkness. She's helpin' ta bring our people's spirits up."

Glenn nodded and said, "I think she's gonna be real good for the group, Rick. She's just got that… personality, ya know? She's bubbly. She's friendly. She's helpful. Everyone's drawn to her. They're all gonna come ta love her. You watch. And she's saved the lives of three people she didn't even know. She's provided for this group twice already. She's a GOOD woman. She's just what this group needed, what we STILL need."

Andrea turned away and headed back towards the laundry room. She knew that no one was in there right now. And she needed some time to think, some time to let everything sink in. Was Rick interested in Ana? Was he ATTRACTED to her?

She reached the laundry room and started to pace back and forth, bringing her arms up to cross them underneath her chest. She shook her head hard, trying to shake the conversation she'd just heard from her memory. No! It COULDN'T be! She needed this. She needed Rick to see HER, not Ana. She needed Rick to become interested in HER, to want HER. She had to make her move and fast, before Ana snatched him up.

A wicked grin curled her lips as she ran over her little plan on how to catch the group leader's attention. She couldn't fail with what she had in mind.

**Hello, hello again. Hit me with those reviews. I'm having as much fun reading them as you are reading the story. I just gobble them up like candy. :)**

**Libby**


	7. Chapter 7 - So Many Secrets

**Author's Note:**** Like I've told the readers from my Red Canyon fanfiction, if you have any ideas or suggestions for the next chapter – when I get the chance to get started on it and I'm starting to kick some ideas around – you're always MORE than welcome to shoot them my way. I love hearing from the readers and I promise I'm not hard to get along with. I enjoy making new friends and it never hurts to listen to ideas that readers have. Hell, sometimes they can come up with better ideas than the writer themselves can at the time. So you're always welcome to message me about anything.**

**Chapter 7: So Many Secrets**

_**~*Andrea*~**_

Andrea headed out of the laundry room, completely determined. She saw Rick talking to Ana in the kitchen and headed down the hall to his cell. She'd wait for him there and make her move when he got there.

She got her chance a few minutes later. She heard heavy feet shuffling down the hall and held her breath. Rick turned into his cell and she gave him a bright smile. She just hoped he couldn't tell that it wasn't sincere. If he saw through her façade and could tell that it was all fake and she wasn't really interested in him, her plans would all fall through.

She crossed one leg over the other, thankful that she'd worn shorts that day, and her smile fell into a big pout as she told him, "I've got somethin' I wanna talk ta you about, Rick."

"And what's that?" he asked her, standing in front of the opposite bed and crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for her to start in.

Her pout grew bigger when she saw that he wasn't going to come sit next to her on the bed.

"I thought Ana and Bella were supposed to leave after Ana got back from that hunting trip with Daryl yesterday," Andrea commented.

Rick shook his head and informed her, "Ana decided to stay and I haven't heard any complaints out of any of the members of this group after she came back."

"You really think it's a good idea to keep them around?" Andrea pressed.

"Well I don't think Kyle, Liam, or Steph are complainin'. She saved their lives, ya know. And she makes patrols on horseback ta make sure there aren't any holes in the fences that surround the prison grounds, that no walkers have gotten onto the grounds. She's helped cook meals, provide food for the group, AND do their laundry," he pointed out, "She's also been givin' Carl riding lessons and teachin' him how to help out around the prison and prison grounds. Hell she's done more for the group than some of us men have lately!"

"You really trust her around your son, Rick? You trust her around your BABY?" she questioned.

"I think Ana's paid more attention ta that boy than even his mother did. And, as the leader of the group, I don't exactly have a lot of time ta spend with the boy. I know I should but I just don't. There are too many things ta be done around here. I wish I could spend more time with him but I just can't. So I couldn't be more thankful that Ana's stepped in ta look out for Carl and Judith," Rick explained.

"But she's a FREAK!" Andrea cried, no longer able to keep her cool.

Rick's brows rose and he let his arms fall to his sides as he stated, "Andrea, I think this conversation is over. As the leader of this group, I'm the one that has the final say on whether people stay or go. Ana's never done anything wrong since she's been here, Andrea. She's good for this group. She stays."

"And Bella? You've seen what she's capable of. Hell she slammed me up against the cell bars right in FRONT of you, Rick. She threatened to KILL me," she reminded him.

"Yes she did, AFTER you slapped her," he pointed out.

"What about the time she gave me a bloody nose in the kitchen? I didn't do anything to her then," she insisted.

"Daryl, Ana, and I will handle Bella. If you're afraid of her, I would suggest you steer clear of her-," he started to say.

But she interrupted him to inform him, "I am NOT afraid of Bella."

"And I'm not stupid," he remarked, "I'm the leader of this group, Andrea. If I feel that someone is a threat to the group, I'LL deal with them as I see fit. If Bella gets out of line, you come tell me what happened and I'll take care of it. But you seem to be on her shit list already. So I wouldn't advise provoking her anymore. She's given you a few warnings before she lashed out and she could've done worse than she did. I'm not sayin' it was right. But you got lucky. I think it'd be best if you just avoided her as much as possible."

Andrea shook her head, getting to her feet, and took a couple steps closer to Rick, her lips curling downward into a pout again as she said, "I think it's awful sweet of you to give those girls a place ta stay, a group to belong to, Rick. I think you're misunderstanding me here. I'm not sayin' you should kick them out on their asses. I'm sayin' I think you should just keep an eye on them is all. For your sake, for Carl's sake. Hell for EVERYONE'S sake."

She took another couple steps toward him and tried batting her blonde lashes at him. His brows wrinkled and he just stared down at her warily. She fought the urge to roll her eyes at him and sigh, choosing to lean up and press her lips to his instead.

Andrea felt him start to pull back and she brought a hand up behind his head to sink her fingers into his wavy locks and make him stay.

But he reached up to loosen her hold on him when her tongue prodded at his lips, stepping to the side and moving away from her. In fact, he walked clear out of the cell, putting some distance between the two of her and leaving her standing inside his cell by herself as he reached up to scratch the back of his neck and look down at the floor.

"Andrea, whatever you think this is, it's not," he told her, "I'm not interested in you like that. If you think I've ever flirted with you, I haven't. I never meant ta give you the idea that-,"

But Andrea shook her head, heading for the cell's entrance, cutting him off to say, "Stop."

Rick stopped mid-sentence, watching her suspiciously as she walked out of the cell and towards him.

"Just stop," she snapped at him, glaring up at him with her pale green eyes, "You don't hafta say anything else. I get it. Just save your fuckin' breath."

His brows rose and he blinked as he looked down at her. She headed down the hall, making her way to the laundry room to recollect her pride and what was left of her dignity. She needed to cool down.

But wouldn't you know that it was JUST her luck that she found Ana in there, folding the group's laundry for them and putting it into a big basket.

"Oh. Hi, Andrea," Ana greeted her, offering her a cheerful smile.

Andrea's eyes narrowed into little slits. The cheeky little bitch! SHE was the reason Rick had turned Andrea down. Well she was going to teach the bitch a lesson. Maybe then Ana would steer clear of the group leader and give Andrea the opportunity she needed to convince Rick that it was HER that he wanted, that he NEEDED.

"Don't you 'Hi, Andrea' me," Andrea snarled at her, marching right over to her.

She got right into the younger woman's face to snap, "You stay AWAY from Rick, do you hear me?"

"RICK?" Ana questioned, looking quite confused, "What would you want with Rick? You've never seemed interested in him before."

"Oh! So you're not denying that you're tryin' ta weasel your way in and SNATCH him up?"

"What? No! I'm not tryin' ta win Rick over. Hell I'm not even INTERESTED in Rick. He's not exactly my type," Ana stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Now you're just lyin' to my face," Andrea accused.

Ana's brown brows furrowed a bit more in confusion and she informed Andrea, "I am NOT attracted ta Rick. He's a good group leader and all but he's not the one I want. I might be interested in a man from this group, Andrea, but it's not Rick. I've got NO interest in Rick like that."

"You LIAR!" Andrea shrieked, bringing her fist up to make a solid connection with the side of Ana's jaw.

She heard Ana gasp and saw her hazel eyes grow real wide as she reached up to press a hand to her injured jaw. The little brunette narrowed her eyes at Andrea a bit.

Ana went back to folding the last of the laundry without a word. When she'd finished, she picked up the basket with both hands and headed for the door.

She stopped when she was standing right beside Andrea, stating once more in a firm tone, "I am NOT interested in Rick."

She headed out the door and left Andrea standing in the room by herself, realizing that what she'd just done probably wasn't a good idea. But Ana had to be scared of her to just walk away without raising a fuss… Didn't she?

_**~*Ana*~**_

Ana went to start handing everyone's laundry out. She found Rick in his cell, sitting on his bed with his head in his hands.

She asked, "Is this a bad time?"

She didn't want to intrude if he was busy.

He lifted his head out of his hands and turned his head to look at her.

"Nah," he answered, giving a half-hearted wave of his hand for her to come in, "Come on in."

He sounded just as deflated as he looked.

"I can come back later," she told him, already starting to turn around.

"It's all right," Rick reassured her, "Thanks for doin' that by the way. You didn't have to."

She turned back towards his cell and he gestured with one hand towards the laundry basket. She smiled at him and came into the cell to set the basket down on the floor beside his bed.

"It's not a problem at all," she assured him, "Gives me somethin' ta do, keeps me busy, ya know? And it helps to relieve a bit of the workload off from the other women."

She fished into the basket to pull out his and Carl's clothes, setting them in neat little piles on their beds.

"I think this is all of your and Carl's clothes. If I missed anything or if some of this stuff isn't yours, just let me know. I'll go fetch yours if I gave it to someone else by accident or I'll take someone else their clothes if you got theirs. I'm still learning what everyone wears," she joked.

He gave a little chuckle and nodded his head, telling her, "Will do."

She picked up the laundry basket and said, "You know… if you wanna talk ta someone, just let me know. We all need someone ta listen to us every once in a while. We all have our ups and downs. And sometimes our downs can really bite us in the ass."

He nodded and gave a laugh that lacked any humor, looking up at the wall in front of him as he commented, "Yeah they can."

He seemed so distracted. She couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.

"Just don't bottle it up," she murmured quietly, "Talk ta someone before it gets too bad, if it gets to that point."

With that, she headed out of Rick and Carl's cell and started to set everyone's clothes on their beds. She went from cell to cell, finding that no one seemed to be in their cells for the most part. The fewer people she saw, the fewer questions she'd get about the bruise she knew was forming on her jaw.

Ana got to the cell she shared with her sister and found Bella in there, sitting on her bed as she cleaned their weapons.

"Hershel was givin' me the eyeball while I was tryin' ta clean 'em in the kitchen, sittin' on the countertop-," Bella started to explain as she looked up.

But her previous statement was cut short and she jumped up off the bed, tossing the knife she'd been cleaning down onto the bed as she demanded, "What the HELL happened to your face?"

"Bella, please," Ana started to protest.

"No. You tell me what happened," Bella insisted, cutting her off.

"No," Ana replied, "I know EXACTLY what you'll do if I tell you."

"No?" Bella questioned, "NO?"

"No," Ana repeated, shaking her head as she reached into the laundry basket to pull out their clothes and set them down on their beds.

"Ana, I'm not gonna ask you again," Bella informed her, before it was as if a thought hit her and she asked, "Did Daryl do this ta you?"

"GOD no!" Ana was quick to answer, "Daryl wouldn't do that."

"Yeah, well, we'll just see about that," Bella retorted, heading out of their cell.

"Bella," Ana called from inside their cell, leaning her head out of the cell's entrance.

But her younger sister kept RIGHT on walking.

"Bella!" Ana called a little louder.

But, still, her sister didn't stop.

Ana sighed and set the basket back down, hurrying out of the cell she shared with her teenage sister and down the hall.

"Bella, Daryl didn't do this," Ana informed her sister when she'd nearly caught up to her.

"We're about ta find out, now aren't we?" Bella replied.

Bella marched RIGHT into the kitchen and walked RIGHT up to Daryl, demanding, "Did you do this?"

"Did I do WHAT?" Daryl asked, turning around to face the girls, Judith held in his arms as he fed her a bottle.

But the bottle and the baby were BOTH passed over to Maggie as he saw Ana's face.

"What the HELL happened to your face?" he questioned, reaching out to gently cup the uninjured side of Ana's face in one hand and using a couple fingers from the other hand to tilt her head to the side a little so he could get a better look at the nasty bruise on her face.

"She won't tell me," Bella snapped, setting her hands on her hips, "I wanna know if you did it because, so help me GOD, Daryl, if you did this-,"

"I didn't fuckin' do it!" Daryl snarled at her, glaring at her with those intense, blue-gray eyes full of anger.

His nostrils flared and his jaw clenched and Ana knew just how pissed he was.

"I would NEVER lay a hand on Ana," Daryl growled at the younger Spenser sister.

Ana cocked one brown brow and Daryl pointed out, "I might've raised my hand at you but I never fuckin' touched ya, Ana."

"You WHAT?!" Bella practically shrieked.

"Bella, he didn't hit me. He didn't hit me when he had the chance and he didn't leave this bruise on me either," Ana told her, "Daryl's only raised his hand at me ONE time and, sure, we might have had an argument a couple days ago but all it took was one comment from me and he lowered his hand. He hadn't even realized that he'd raised his hand at me in anger. And, in his defense, I slapped him first. He wouldn't hurt me, Bella. It'd tear him up inside if he ever hurt me."

"You slapped him?" Bella asked, her head snapping around to look at her.

"I won't disclose the reason but yes. And I sincerely apologized for it. I felt GODAWFUL after I realized what I'd done. He KNOWS I'll never be able to tell him just how sorry I am. I wasn't thinking. It just happened. But that has NOTHING to do with this," Ana explained.

"I want a name," Daryl said, his voice low as those blue-gray eyes pierced her with the most intense gaze.

She knew that tone. That was his "no-nonsense, Ana" tone.

She lowered her eyes to look at the floor, not meeting his gaze, and told him, "No."

"Ana, so help me God, if you don't tell me, I'm gonna question EVERY single one of the members of this group 'til I find out who did it," he stated.

Her head snapped up and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Daryl, I don't wanna start a fight!" she tried to reason with him, "I know that you'll blow up on whoever did this and I know Bella will too. I don't wanna cause a problem."

"Whoever did this to your FACE caused a problem, Ana. And I'm gonna fuckin' fix it," his deep voice rumbled.

She looked down at the floor again and nibbled at her lip nervously.

"Who did it?" he questioned one more time, "I'm not gonna ask you again, Ana."

She knew Maggie and Glenn were watching anxiously and she finally murmured quietly, "I can't say."

"They're dead," Daryl said as he headed for the doorway of the kitchen.

Bella and Ana were quick to follow after him. Ana knew that her sister was just as eager as Daryl to get her hands on whoever had hurt her. But Ana wanted to avoid a fight between the members of the group as much as she could.

She saw Rick coming out of his cell and Daryl growled, "Did you know about this?"

"Know about what?" Rick questioned as the group met up.

Daryl pointed to Ana and said, "Her FACE. You mean ta tell me you don't see that bruise right there?"

Ana hung her head and Rick tilted his to the side, approaching her and gently taking her face in his hands to look at her.

He gasped and asked, "God, Ana! What happened ta you?"

"Do you know who did it?" Daryl demanded, "Do you have ANY idea who would do this?"

"No. I…" Rick started before trailing off.

Bella and Ana both cocked their heads to the side and Bella glared at the group leader, narrowing her dark brown eyes to inquire, "What aren't you telling me that you SHOULD be telling me right now?"

"Rick, does this have somethin' ta do with why you seemed stressed out in your cell?" Ana asked quietly.

"I think it does," Rick commented, "Because there's only ONE person I can think of that would do this ta you and I'm pretty sure I know now why she did it."

"She? So it's a she? Beth's too innocent ta do somethin' like that. Carol wouldn't lay a hand on anyone after the way her husband treated her. Maggie doesn't have a reason ta lay a hand on Ana. Steph's too shy and Ana saved her life. I can't see her doin' this either. Bella didn't do it. Ana clearly didn't do it to herself. So that just leaves one woman…" Daryl started rattling off the list of female suspects before it dawned on him.

"Oh I'm gonna KILL her!" he cried, whirling around in a circle and starting to head back down the hall.

"Daryl, please don't do anything stupid!" Ana cried, rushing after him, "This is why I wouldn't tell you. This is why I wouldn't tell Bella. Daryl, Rick didn't know. He was stressed out when I saw him after it happened and he probably didn't even notice the bruise. So don't blame him for not telling you. But you can't hurt her, Daryl."

"Why the fuck can't I?" he growled, "Look what she did ta your FACE, Ana!"

"Daryl, please. PLEASE don't do anything you'll regret," she pleaded.

"I won't regret it. Hell I think I just might ENJOY it," Daryl commented in a matter-of-fact tone, "That bitch has had it comin' for a LONG time."

"Daryl, just wait-," she tried to protest again, reaching out to gently wrap her hand around his arm this time.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her. She looked up into his eyes and she knew he'd find tears in hers.

"We've got it good here. I don't wanna go back out there. Hell I'm still healin' after all the shit we've been through out there, Daryl. PLEASE don't do this. Look, I know you're pissed but they'll throw the three of us out if you and Bella tear into her. You KNOW they will. We have food here, clothes, shelter, protection, BEDS, hell even SHOWERS. This is luxury compared to out there, Daryl. And God I HATE myself for cryin' as much as I have these past few days but I can't handle it out there again. Not for a while at least. I just… I need this…" she whispered the last sentence as she looked away from him and brought a hand up to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Why would she do this ta you?" Daryl asked, his voice soft this time, "Why would she hurt you?"

She gave a laugh that lacked any humor and rolled her eyes as she informed him, "She's got it stuck in her head that I'm out to get Rick or something. Hell she wasn't making any sense, Daryl. She just kept accusing me of being a liar and trying to 'weasel my way in' and 'snatch him up'. She told me to 'stay away from Rick'. I don't know what the hell she thinks is going on between us but EVERYONE knows there's nothing going on between Rick and I. I even told her multiple times that Rick wasn't my type, that I wasn't attracted to him or interested in him like that. She finally just got frustrated and decked me."

"Did you get a good swing in back?" he questioned.

She just looked away and told him, "I do what I always did during the fights with my dad. I told her ONE last time that I wasn't interested in Rick – proving to her that I wasn't in the wrong – and then I glared at her and walked away. I could've hit her. God knows I wanted to. But I didn't. I walked away."

"Well now she probably thinks you're scared of her," Daryl pointed out, "And I won't have her fuckin' pickin' on ya. That shit's gonna stop RIGHT now, TODAY. And we're gonna get this whole Rick thing cleared up too."

Ana sighed. She knew that he wasn't going to stop until he'd settled things between her and Andrea, even if that involved him beating the bitch's face in. She wouldn't let it get that far though.

_**-=Daryl=-**_

"Hey, Rick!" Daryl called down the hall.

Rick's head snapped up and he looked at Daryl.

Daryl motioned with a wave of his hand for Rick to follow him and Ana. Both Rick and Bella followed after them as he led Ana towards Andrea's cell.

They found that it was empty and Daryl gave a growl of frustration before he looked down at Ana, asking, "Where did you see her last? Where did all this shit happen?"

"In the laundry room," she explained, "I was just folding the laundry for the group when she came into the room. I told her hi and she started right in on me."

He gave a single, downward nod and started in that direction. He was going to straighten this shit out, one way or another.

Daryl led the small group to the laundry room, where they found Andrea, pacing back and forth across the aisle between the washers and dryers and the row of tables that sat across the aisle from them. Her head snapped up when she heard the door open and she froze.

"What? Didn't think ya could handle me yourself so ya brought in reinforcements?" Andrea snarled at Ana, shooting her a harsh glare.

"Let me tell ya somethin'," Daryl informed the mouthy blonde, "Ana doesn't need ANYONE ta fight her fights for her. If she really thought you were a threat, she wouldn't have hesitated ta kick your ass. She didn't wanna tell me who left that bruise on her face but I wasn't gonna take no for an answer."

"So that's why she lied ta my face and walked away from me?" Andrea questioned with a smug smirk on her face, her arms still crossed underneath her chest.

Daryl glared down at Andrea, taking a couple steps closer to her to tower over her, and stated, "Ana doesn't like ta fight. She avoids confrontations as often as possible."

Andrea's smirk stretched wider and she gazed over at Ana.

Ana just looked at Andrea, staring her down but not narrowing her eyes. Not yet anyway. But that was all right. Daryl had done nothing but glare at her since they'd arrived at the laundry room and found the blonde bitch in there. He was doing enough glaring for BOTH of them.

Daryl took a couple steps away from Andrea, giving Ana space if she wanted to go after the blonde. Hell he wasn't going to hold her back. Ana had EVERY right to kick Andrea's ass. Shit the bruise on her face proved that! And he knew that Ana only gave a few warnings before she jumped into action, most of them being with her body language or facial expressions.

"But that DOESN'T mean that she doesn't know HOW ta fight," Daryl continued on to say as the women stared each other down relentlessly, "When Ana DOES get into a fight, it's always ugly. She doesn't have any rules. She's learned just where the pressure points in the human body are and how ta use that ta her advantage, giving her the ability ta inflict more damage on her opponent and in less time than the other opponent can even get a swing in. She's quick and she's downright VICIOUS in a fight. She blacks out when she's backed into a corner and she just loses it. She has ta be PULLED off of the person that puts her in the corner. I've seen it for myself, TWICE. And let me tell ya, I've seen MORE than my fair share of fights. But that is one person I'd never wanna face in a fight. She's not afraid ta bite, scratch, pull hair, slam someone's face into a closed, metal door. Hell she'll do ANYTHING in a fight. She's taken on people that were a LOT bigger than her too, girls OR guys. She's FEARLESS in a fight. So, trust me, Ana didn't walk away from you 'cuz she was scared. She walked away from you 'cuz she didn't think it was worth a fight. Ya got lucky, Andrea. And I don't think you'll get lucky if ya pull some shit like that again. She might let it slide once, MAYBE even twice. But it WON'T happen a third time. I can PROMISE you that."

Ana's eyes were fixed on Andrea but her breathing was slow, calm, unlike Andrea's racing pulse. Daryl saw the blonde's nostrils flaring rapidly as she took in quick, shallow breaths. He knew that Ana's calm demeanor was what scared people the most. It was the quiet, calm ones you had to watch out for in a fight. You never knew what they were capable of.

Andrea's smirk faltered for a few seconds before Daryl saw her force it back onto her face. He knew she was definitely scared now. And she might think that what he was feeding her was all just a pack of lies to scare her. But it was all true, every word he'd said.

"What the hell was your beef with my sister?" Bella growled, glaring at Andrea, "What was so damn important that ya left a bruise on her face? And it BETTER be good. 'Cuz she said it was over somethin' petty, somethin' ridiculous. And she might not think it's worth a fight but I do. Anyone that hauls off and hits my sister deserves ta have their ass kicked."

Andrea's smirk fell completely from her face now and Daryl could tell from the look on her face that she was starting to realize that she'd bitten off more than she could chew this time.

"You wanna tell us what this was all about?" Rick questioned.

Andrea shook her head and glared at Ana, trying to intimidate her into keeping her mouth shut.

Rick and Daryl looked over to Ana, who informed the group, "It had ta do with Rick, somethin' about 'keep away from him' and 'you're lying' and 'you're just tryin' ta snatch him up'. I couldn't really make heads or tails out of any of it. I told her I wasn't into Rick like that but she just kept insisting that I was lyin'."

Rick and Daryl both looked at Andrea and Bella rolled her eyes, before casting a glare at Andrea as she pointed at her and snarled, "Ya touch her again, for ANY reason, and you're DEAD. I'm fuckin' serious."

With that, Bella headed out of the room. Daryl knew she had to get out of there before she knocked Andrea on her ass, ESPECIALLY since she'd decked Ana for such a ridiculous reason.

"Andrea, there's nothin' goin' on between Ana and I," Rick explained, "But, even if there ever was, it wouldn't be any of your business and you wouldn't get a say in any sort of relationship we had. I'm not stupid. I know you're not TRULY interested in me. I don't know what it is that you're after, but you're not gonna get it. I think a big part of it has somethin' ta do with you wantin' ta get in good with me and start tryin' ta call shots that involve the group or individual members of it. I know you want Ana and Bella gone. But we've been over that already, even just today. That's NOT gonna happen. So I know you think that I turned you down for Ana, but that's not it. That's not it at ALL. I told you I wasn't interested in you and I meant that. I didn't turn you down because I wanted Ana instead. So you lashin' out at Ana was uncalled for an you made yourself look like –,"

"An ass," Daryl finished for him.

Rick brought a hand up to scratch the back of his neck and looked over at Daryl, nodding and stating, "Well I was gonna say 'an idiot' but I think you're right. That was a bit too nice. You're wording was more accurate."

Daryl gave him a single downward nod in agreement and Rick looked over at Ana, asking, "What do you think we should do ta her for punishment?"

"As much as I'd like ta say 'throw her out on her ass' since I know she's not gonna stop 'til either her or I are kicked out of the group, we all make mistakes. I'm willing ta overlook this one. I just hope she learns from it. Do whatever ya want with her, Rick. But be merciful. 'Cuz the NEXT time she pulls a stunt like this with me or someone I'm close to, I won't be," Ana replied, glaring at Andrea for the first time since the group had found her, "I like ta try ta give people the benefit of the doubt. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. But you WON'T fool me a third time, if it makes it to the third time. I don't usually give three chances unless the person's REALLY worth it. And, in this case, she's not. So you do what you want with her this time. But she fucks up where I or another member of this group that I'm close to is concerned and I'll deal with her myself. And, believe me when I say this, Rick: you WON'T like how I deal with it."

Rick nodded and Daryl gave a growl, storming towards the door of the laundry room to yank it open and glare over his shoulder at Andrea. Then he walked out and slammed the door shut behind him. He wasn't happy about this at ALL. He wanted Andrea to pay for what she'd done to Ana.

He heard Ana's voice call out to him as she walked out of the room after him, joking lightly, "I told him I had ta go after you or you'd break somethin'."

"Right now, I really wanna break her damn jaw," he replied.

She grew serious and murmured quietly, "I know. Thanks for keepin' your cool in there."

"I didn't do it for her sake. That's for DAMN sure," Daryl stated, "I kept my cool for your sake, for Rick's. Two wrongs don't make a right."

Ana just shook her head and pointed out, "Never stopped ya before. Hell I've seen you whip the shit out of TONS of kids back in school when we were growin' up for lookin' at me funny, let alone makin' fun of me or tryin' ta beat me up. Ya might not wanna admit it, Daryl, but you're makin' little changes here and there since I told ya I liked ya. I mean, I know we're not datin' but-,"

"We're not?" he questioned.

After the conversations they'd had out at the pond, he'd thought there might be something more than friendship between them.

"Well, I mean, neither one of us asked the other out and I didn't think-," she started to say.

"Do you WANNA give it a shot?" he asked her.

"Do we hafta be secretive about it?" she countered, a playful grin on her face to let him know she was just joking.

"I don't do any of that PDA shit, Ana," he commented, giving her a stern look.

She rolled those pretty eyes at him and retorted, "You're always jumpin' ta conclusions, ya know that? I didn't mean we'd fuck or make out in front of the rest of 'em. For Christ's sake, Daryl! I just meant like a grin or a wink or a playful hip bump, maybe holdin' hands. Nothin' serious. I wasn't lyin' when I said I'd never push you or rush you. We don't hafta do anything at all if you don't want to. We don't HAFTA date. I told you you'd get ta call all the shots and I meant it. Yeah, I like you. No I wouldn't turn ya down if you wanted ta give it a shot, you and me. But I'm not gonna put up with a buncha damn fightin', Daryl. And if you ever DO lay a mean hand on me, we're DONE, no questions asked. I know you didn't the other day but I know we BOTH know you were GOING to before I made that remark. I knew it'd snap ya out of it. I know it's hard ta let go of the past. BELIEVE me, I do. After all the shit we've both been through, we're both more than a little fucked up. But that doesn't mean that we can't make things work. Hell we've been friends for the majority of our lives, haven't we? I don't wanna hurt you. Not EVER. And I KNOW you don't wanna hurt me either. If shit starts goin' south, I'd rather break it off and try ta salvage what's left of our friendship than sink the damn friendship right along with our relationship. Daryl, I care about you, all right? I LOVE you. But it takes two people givin' it their all ta make ANY kind of relationship work, whether it's a friendship or a couple or whatever. Do I want this to work? HELL yeah I do. But not if that means hurtin' you or fuckin' up our friendship. We've gotta talk ta each other, be open and honest with each other. If you're not okay with somethin', tell me. If I say or do somethin' that pisses you off or hurts your feelings, tell me. 'Cuz, if we can't talk through the little shit, we'll NEVER get past the big shit."

He nodded his head, letting her know that he was listening and that he understood.

Then she surprised him, reaching down to lace her fingers through his. He looked down at their hands and then up at her. She tugged gently at his hand, giving a jerk of her head in the direction of the cell block, and he nodded, letting her lead him towards the cells.

"I think we need ta get some stuff squared away," she said, "We need ta come up with some boundaries, some dos and don'ts so that we know what's okay and what's not."

Daryl looked down at their hands again. It was so weird feelings her fingers laced through his, the palm of her hand pressed against his. Her hand was small compared to his, softer and more delicate. But her hands were still rough from manual labor since the start of the zombie apocalypse. She was a hard worker, a SURVIVOR.

She led him into his cell at the end of the row, gently pushing at his chest to get him take a seat on the bed before she sat down next to him, turning to face him as she started to speak to him.

"You can't hold anything back on me," she told him, her voice soft and quiet as she slowly reached up.

For once, he forced himself to remain still. He always flinched by pure instinct after all the shit his father had put his mother, his brother, and even himself through. But he knew that it hurt Ana's feelings every time he pulled away. She wouldn't let on like it did. But he knew that it did. And he didn't want to hurt her anymore. He HATED hurting her. And he'd seemed to do an AWFUL lot of that since she'd come to the prison.

She gave him the brightest smile and gently brushed his hair away from his forehead, slowly leaning in to press her lips to his forehead. He fought the urge to pull back. She was trying and he would too. She wanted to shower her affections on him, a little at a time so he'd get used to them. So he'd have to make an effort to let her if planned to get used to it.

"Sometimes it'll feel like the easiest, most natural thing in the world," she stated, "Sometimes it'll feel like it's the most complicated, impossible thing in the world. But we can DO this. If you ever want out, all you've gotta do is tell me, all right?"

He nodded to her and she smiled at him, commenting, "I know. You're gettin' uncomfortable. This is unfamiliar territory, talkin' about feelings and relationships. Just a few more minutes and we can talk about WHATEVER you want, all right?"

Again, he nodded.

"So I need ta know what things you're not okay with, so I don't do 'em," she pointed out, "And that means that I don't want you ta hesitate ta tell me if I ever do somethin' that you don't like that you haven't told me about already. Like if you don't bring it up in your list now but I do somethin' at some point that you don't like, just tell me and I won't do it again."

He nodded and thought for a while.

She laughed and commented, "You've gotta have SOME pet peeves, Daryl. I KNOW you do."

Daryl looked at Ana before looking away. She was trying. She was making an effort, so he would too.

He gave a nod and told her, "I don't like feelin' caged in. I don't like talkin' about my feelings. I don't like talkin' about my childhood. Hell I don't like a LOT of things ta be honest."

She laughed and nodded, replying, "I kinda picked up on that."

He gave her a playful little glare and she giggled some more, sticking her tongue out at him. That made him chuckle and he shook his head at her.

"You're somethin' else, ya know that?" he teased lightly.

"A good somethin' else or a bad somethin' else?" she inquired.

"A good somethin' else," he answered, offering her a tiny smile.

She just grinned right back at him and asked, "Can I kiss you?"

"Can I say no?" he questioned.

He saw her smile fall but she nodded and replied, "Of course you can. You can ALWAYS say no if you don't wanna do somethin', Daryl. Or if you don't like somethin'."

"Then yes," he told her.

She gasped, her hazel eyes growing real wide. He'd clearly taken her by surprise. But it didn't take long for a huge grin to stretch across her face and she leaned in to press her lips to his, letting her eyes drift shut. And, for once, he just closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her soft, warm, full lips pressed against his. She didn't push it past a kiss on the lips either. He knew she didn't want to cross any boundaries with him.

"Thank you," she told him when she pulled back.

"For what?" he asked her.

"For lettin' me kiss you," she said, "And for givin' this a try. Ya didn't have to and we BOTH know it. But I'm glad you did. And you're actually tryin'. So thank you."

He just nodded.

"We'll be the most badass couple to survive the zombie apocalypse," she joked, leaning in again.

He just chuckled before their lips met and she stole another kiss from him.

"Better watch it with those kisses," he told her, "We're gonna hafta put a limit on 'em."

She just giggled and inquired, "And why's that? 'Cuz you're already growin' addicted to 'em?"

"No," he replied, "'Cuz I HATE 'em."

"You lie," she stated, giggling some more.

He just laughed right along with her and she said, "You start gettin' grumpy with me and I'll save up my kisses and I'll sleep in the other bed in your cell here."

He didn't say anything but he knew that SHE knew he didn't like that idea.

But he had to admit, he liked this whole dating Ana thing… so far at least.

"Does this mean you're gonna start takin' showers with me now?" she razzed.

"NO," he answered firmly.

She just laughed and nodded, saying, "RIGHT. That'd mean you'd hafta control yourself."

He rolled his eyes and pointed out, "You're incorrigible."

"Ooo… There ya go. Usin' big words on me," she purred, pushing herself up from his bed and heading for the cell's entrance.

She stopped just inside the doorway of the cell and added, "'Sides, ya know ya like it."

He chuckled and shook his head. She ALWAYS had to get the last word in. She blew him a kiss and turned to leave.

He watched her ass as she walked away, biting his bottom lip. He was in trouble. And he knew it. Ana was the ONE woman he'd ever even CONSIDER committing himself to. And now he'd gone and done that. So he was in unfamiliar territory with no one to turn to but her. Still, it had always been easy to be her friend, with the exception of the past few days since she'd arrived there at the prison, so he wasn't stressing about it. In fact, he was curious to see what would become of them. Sure. He was scared of fucking things up. But he was confident that they'd work things out if something came up.

_**~*Steph*~**_

Steph saw Ana heading down the hall, a huge, shit-eating grin stretched from one ear to the other.

"Well you look awful happy," Steph joked.

Ana just nodded and Steph asked, "Can I ask what put that smile on your face?"

Ana bit her lower lip and thought for a few moments before finally deciding aloud, "Well I REALLY wanna tell someone and Glenn can't keep a secret. And Maggie's busy anyway. Actually I'm not really sure WHERE she is. And I'm not really one ta confide stuff in Bella 'cuz she'll turn stuff around and use it against me if we get into a fight. Besides, I think I can trust you. I could use a good 'female friend'. We women need ta stick together."

Steph laughed but nodded to her and said, "All right."

"Honestly, I trust you more than any of the other women in the group," Ana commented, "You're pretty chill about things. Why don't we go relieve Bella and Carl of watch duty and I'll tell ya that secret?"

Steph nodded and smiled at her, following her through the kitchen and out of the building. They headed for the watch tower and climbed the stairs to find Bella gazing out of the tower towards the gate, where a bunch of walkers were gathered. The walkers were gnashing their teeth and rattling the fence, making those god-awful noises the undead creeps made.

Carl turned towards Steph and Ana.

"Holy CRAP!" the boy cried, his hazel eyes growing real wide, "What happened to your face, Ana?!"

This caught Steph's attention and she gazed over at Ana to see a large, ugly bruise on the side of her jaw. How the hell had she missed THAT?!

Ana sighed and said in a quiet, gentle tone, "I REALLY wish everyone would stop askin' me that. But, to answer your question, someone decked me. Don't worry, your dad said he'd deal with them. I don't really know how he plans ta deal with them but I believed him when he said it and I trust that he'll take care of it."

"But why would someone hit you?" Carl asked, clearly confused.

"Because the woman that hit her is a moody, blonde bitch," Bella growled.

Carl looked over at Steph and she shook her head, telling him, "I didn't do it, hone. I'd never hit someone unless they REALLY deserved it."

"Andrea," Carl stated, nodding, "She causes problems for EVERYONE."

All three of the women nodded. Steph hadn't been a member of the group for long but she'd been there long enough to know that what the boy said was true. And she didn't doubt that Andrea had been the one to give Ana that nasty bruise.

"Did you hit her back?" Carl questioned, looking up at Ana.

Ana shook her head, surprising Steph.

"Hell I would've," Steph commented, even as Carl informed Ana, "I would've."

"She ever lays a hand on me again and I WILL," Ana replied.

Steph nodded. She believed the brunette would do it, even though she usually seemed sweet and harmless.

"Well you guys are free ta go," Ana told Bella and Carl, "We'll take it from here."

"I wanna stay," Carl protested, giving a big pout.

Steph thought it was adorable.

Ana looked over at Steph to see if it was okay if he joined them and Steph nodded.

"Suit yourself," Ana said with a shrug.

"Well I'm goin'," Bella huffed, "If I look at that bruise on your face any longer, I'm gonna break HER face."

Ana and Steph laughed and Steph watched the teenager disappear down the stairwell.

"Why didn't Daryl do something about it?" Carl questioned.

"Oh he wanted to," Ana commented, "BELIEVE me, he wanted to. But he kept his cool and walked away since I told him not ta make a big deal out of it. Rick's gonna deal with it this time. But, if she does it again, I'LL be the one ta deal with it. And I can promise you that Daryl and Bella will too."

Carl gave a little glare and informed her, "If someone were ta hit MY girlfriend, I'd beat the shit out of 'em."

"Language, mister," Ana scolded gently, wrinkling her brows and setting her hands on her hips.

Steph fought the urge to laugh. Ana was really stepping up to fill the role of the boy's mother figure.

"Sorry," Carl apologized, "But it's true. I would've."

"Oh I don't doubt it," Ana said.

"So you and Beth are dating then?" Steph asked the boy after a few moments of silence.

"You can't tell dad!" the boy was quick to tell her.

"Honey, pretty much everyone in the group knows that you like her," Ana commented.

Carl frowned and looked down at the floor, asking, "Do they know that we're actually dating now?"

"I don't think so," Steph answered.

"Don't worry about it, little man," Ana reassured him, "Your secret's safe with me and Steph. Right, Steph?"

Ana winked at her and Steph nodded, replying, "Right. My lips are sealed."

The boy grinned at them both and nodded.

"So when did you two start dating?" Steph inquired.

Carl's grin widened as he told her, "Just last week."

"Well congratulations, Carl," both women told him.

He shrugged as if to make the women believe that it was no big deal. But Steph wasn't buying into that one and she knew Ana wouldn't either. The boy was clearly excited about it but he was trying to downplay it.

"Now… I've got a secret ta tell both of YOU," Ana said grinning from ear to ear, "I was just gonna tell Steph, but I think I can trust you. You kept the last secret I asked you to."

Steph saw Carl's eyes light up and he nodded energetically, eagerly awaiting whatever secret she had to tell him.

Steph watched as Ana bit her bottom lip before blurting, "Daryl and I are dating! But you can't tell ANYONE, not even Rick or Liam. I don't know if Daryl wants anyone ta know yet."

Both Steph and Carl nodded. So THAT was what had put that big grin on her face?

"Well, since we're all sharing secrets here and you both trusted me with your secrets, I suppose I could share one with you. Liam and I had sex in the shower room last night," Steph informed them.

Ana gasped before she started to giggle, teasing, "Oh you're SHAMELESS!"

Steph just laughed right along with her, blushing a little.

But Carl's reaction was TOTALLY different from Ana's.

"EWW!" Carl cried, "Which shower? Oh my God! Was it against the wall? Or on one of the benches? I'm NEVER using any of them again!"

Both women laughed and Steph reassured him, "No. It was against one of the pillars, the last one on the right side of the showers."

Carl shuddered before exclaiming, "Thank GOD!"

Steph and Ana laughed again.

"So how is it that you know about different sex positions?" Steph asked the boy.

He shrugged and commented, "I know a few things."

That was a typical male's answer, whether they were men or boys.

"I think you and I need ta have a talk," Ana stated, looking down at the boy as she crossed her arms underneath her chest, "A very SERIOUS one."

"No we don't," he informed her, "Beth and I haven't even kissed yet. We held hands ONE time, but only when no one was looking!"

"Well you keep it that way, mister. Don't you do anything more than kiss her. And NO tongue!" Ana told him in a firm tone.

The boy's face scrunched up and he shook his head hard.

"I mean it, young man," she persisted, pointing at him, "I hear you did somethin' more than kissin' that girl on the lips, and the next time you see me will be when your dad and I are havin' a talk with ya."

He just gave a jerky nod and said, "I'm gonna go make sure Bella doesn't kill Andrea."

"I mean it," Ana commented.

The boy just nodded to her and she informed him, "All right. And your secret's safe with me. I trust you ta make wise decisions. You and Daryl and I need ta have a talk about you sneakin' out of the gate ta go find us though. We'll do that tonight, after supper. If you're not in his cell after I'm done with the dishes, I'll come find you."

The boy gave another nod and then headed for the stairs, jogging down them.

Steph turned to Ana and stated, "You're awful good with that boy."

"He needs someone ta act as a mother figure. EVERY kid needs both parents. They might not admit to it but they wind up PRETTY screwed up if they don't have both parents, or at LEAST surrogate parents. The boy's mother died. He watched her be cut open to perform an emergency C-section ta get his baby sister out. THEN he had ta shoot her dead body in the head before she turned. He's got more problems than he's willing ta admit. Most kids wouldn't have survived through that without goin' insane or lashing out, Steph. His mother's not here ta look out for him anymore, so someone's gotta fill that place in his life. No one will ever replace her in his heart. But someone needs ta be there for him and assume her role as a surrogate mother."

Steph just nodded, a saddened expression on her face. The group was still broken. They needed some stability. Ana was doing her best to try to become the leading female in the group members' lives. And Steph didn't want Ana to have to bear that load alone.

**It's been a fun ride so far and I'm hoping that you've enjoyed it too. I know that I can't wait to hear from all of you and I hope to hell that I can get started on the next chapter soon. Any and all suggestions, ideas, comments, concerns, or questions are welcome. Thanks again!**

**Libby**


	8. Chapter 8 - Making Changes

**Author's Note:**** Well guys, it's sad. I haven't been getting that many reviews. This is the 8th chapter that I've posted on here now and I've only received 4 reviews. FOUR. I think you guys can do a little better than that. No review is a bad review. Honest. And, if you're not comfortable sending reviews, that's fine. You can always message me. Hell I don't care if you love it or hate it, tell me what you think. It takes a lot of time and effort to come up with these chapters. I'm not trying to give you all a lecture. That's not what this is about. I'm just trying to stress that I really DO want to hear from you. I don't write the author's notes for no reason. I appreciate each and every person that takes the time out of their schedule to read the chapters I post. I appreciate people adding my stories or even me as a writer to their favorites or alerts lists. It's not that I'm not thankful. But I won't know what you're thinking if you don't tell me. It only takes like 5 minutes. So PLEASE review or message me. Yes. I even threw in a please.**

**Chapter 8: Making Changes**

_**-=Carl=-**_

"C'mon, Carl," Carl heard Daryl tell him, "You can wait with me in my cell. She'll be in after she and Carol get done with the dishes."

Carl hung his head but nodded. He knew he'd be in for yet ANOTHER ass chewing. His father had already gotten onto his case, after Bella had of course. Beth had given him a good scolding. Liam had had a chat with him. And now he was going to get double-teamed by Ana AND Daryl. He didn't think Ana would be too harsh on him but he was honestly terrified to hear what Daryl had to say to him.

They made it to Daryl's cell and Daryl gestured for him to have a seat on one of the beds. Carl went to sit on the bed across from the one Daryl slept on and Daryl sat on his bed.

"Ya know what ya did was stupid, right?" Daryl inquired.

Carl nodded, looking down at the floor.

"Ya could've gotten ambushed," Daryl pointed out, "Ya could've gotten KILLED, Carl. That would've done your old man in. He's already lost your mom. Ya know what that would've done ta him? You saw what he was like after your mom died. You had parents that cared about ya, Carl. Hell your old man would lay down his life for you, without a second's hesitation. Ya don't piss that kinda stuff away."

Carl just nodded. Daryl had told him about how he'd lost his mom. He'd never talked about his dad though. He just didn't talk about his past. So no one knew anything about it.

Daryl looked up, towards the entrance of the cell, and Ana came into view, giving them both a warm smile.

"My two favorite men," she teased lightly.

Daryl passed her a glare and Carl stuck his tongue out at her, making her laugh. She crossed her hazel eyes, stuck her tongue out at him, and touched her thumb to the tip of her nose before wiggling her fingers at him. Carl and Daryl both laughed and Ana playfully ruffled Carl's shaggy, brown mop of hair before taking a seat next to him.

"All right, sweetie," Ana said, becoming serious, "You know why you're here. I'm sure PLENTY of people have already chewed your little butt royally."

He nodded and she stated, "I'm not here ta tell ya you're stupid or immature or anything like that."

"You're not?" Carl asked, narrowing his hazel eyes up at her suspiciously.

If she hadn't told him to come to Daryl's cell to yell at him, then why had she asked him to come? Why had she said she wanted to talk to him?

"Nope," she replied, "We all make mistakes. We all make some decisions that aren't so great. The thing you hafta realize is this, Carl: you've got people here that care about you, that DEPEND on you. How would Beth have felt if you'd have gotten hurt?"

Carl could feel the guilt creeping into his gut.

He hung his head and answered, "She would've been pretty sad. And she would've been mad at me."

"And how do you think your dad would've reacted if he'd lost you?" she pressed.

Carl knew where she was going with this now.

"He would've lost it again," he replied.

Ana nodded and informed him, "I never would've forgiven myself if somethin' would've happened ta you out there."

His head jerked up and he looked at her in confusion and surprise.

"But you didn't even know I was out there," he pointed out.

"I would've figured it out soon enough, Carl. I would've thought about it and wracked my brain. I would've investigated until I figured out why you left and then I would've lived with your death or injury on my conscience 'til the day I died," she stated.

He couldn't meet her eyes after that and he looked down at the floor, scuffing his shoe on the floor. He frowned at that. He hadn't meant to cause so much trouble by leaving the prison grounds. He'd only wanted to convince Ana to stay. Because the group needed her. She was good for the group and she kept them all together.

"I didn't mean ta cause any trouble," Carl murmured, quietly, looking down at his hands, "I just wanted ta convince you ta stay with me and the group, Ana. I knew you were mad at Daryl and that you wanted ta leave after you got back from the hunting trip. You can't leave, Ana. You're good for the group. You keep the group from fallin' apart. You care about everyone and you help everyone when they need it."

He saw Ana give a smile and a nod before she reassured him, "Well I came back and I don't have any intentions of leavin', sweetie. Daryl and I worked things out and I'm growin' fond of all the group members. So, even if Daryl and I have another fight, I won't leave the group. There are too many people here in the group that rely on me. I'm starting to grow attached to all of you."

"Except Andrea," Carl corrected her.

Ana nodded and laughed, agreeing, "Except Andrea. I'm not goin' anywhere, Carl. You're a DAMN good kid. I don't know too many people that could've survived what you've been through, ESPECIALLY people your age. But you did. And you're so smart, so mature, so responsible and logical. You've got SO many of your dad's qualities and characteristics. But you're growin' up fast and you're growin' up tough. And, one day, you're gonna be a leader, Carl, just like your dad. But you've gotta remember, only the GOOD leaders put others before themselves. You weren't just thinkin' about yourself when you went lookin' for me. You had the WHOLE group in mind. That's somethin' the others didn't think about. That's why I'm takin' it easy on ya. You thought of the others, just like when you did what you had to with your mom. You didn't wanna do that but you knew you had to ta keep your baby sister and Maggie safe. You knew it was what your mom would've wanted."

Carl nodded but his eyes didn't meet hers. He felt the sorrow creeping in at the very memory of watching Maggie cut his mother open and deliver the baby. He'd been the one to pull the trigger, to put a bullet in her skull. Maggie had been willing to take the fall for him and do it instead of making him do it. But it was his mother. And it was his responsibility. So he'd stepped up and done what had to be done to ensure the safety of the group, of his family.

"You wanna know somethin'? You got lucky, Carl," he heard her say, surprising him and making his head snap up to look at her.

"Whaddya mean?" he questioned.

"My mom didn't want me. When I was 3 years old, she gave me up to my grandparents so they could raise me instead. When I was 5 years old, Bella was born. I was the one that took care of Bella since mom didn't and Bella's dad was asleep when he wasn't workin'. I was the one that changed her diapers, fed her her bottles, walked around with her for hours when she had colic, got up whenever she cried in the middle of the night. I was 5 years old and raising a baby. When I was 11, my mom starting dating this man. One night, I woke up ta feel his hand down my underwear. He was… touching me. I ran to mom, scared and crying. I didn't know what to do. I was so confused and hurt. I couldn't believe he'd do that. But she just told me not to tell anyone because he'd go BACK to jail. He'd had 7 accounts before me. He'd touched little girls AND little boys, just like he'd touched me. Mom picked that man over me, her oldest daughter. But I couldn't leave my little sister there around him by herself. So, for the next 5 years, that man kept bothering me, kept TOUCHING me. I finally told my dad when I was 16 and he said that I could move in with him. So I did. But he blamed me for EVERYTHING that went wrong, screamed and cussed at me every day, wouldn't let me ever leave the house or even watch TV, and I had to do ALL the work around the house – the cooking, cleaning, dishes, laundry. I lived with him until I graduated from high school, then I went to college, where I got a call 3 years later from Bella. I left right away to go find her. I'd do ANYTHING for her, just like your dad would do anything for you. He loves you, Carl, and I'm growin' fond of ya too. So you keep that in mind from now on. I know you're smart. You're capable of makin' your own decisions. You're capable of makin' better decisions than you did when you left the safety of the prison grounds. I know you are. That's why I was disappointed when I heard that you'd done. I understand now why you did it but I wish you would've just waited until I got back," she explained.

Carl's eyes had just grown wider and wider as she'd told him about her childhood. He couldn't BELIEVE all she'd been through! He nodded hard when she'd finished. He felt AWFUL for having disappointed her. She was the closest thing he'd had to a mother since his own mother had died.

"Ana wasn't the only one that had it rough as a kid," Daryl informed him, "I told ya how my mom died. What I DIDN'T tell ya was how screwed up my childhood was. My old man was an alcoholic and a REAL mean somebitch. He used ta beat me, mom, and Merle. I got it worse than Merle 'cuz I stood up for mom. And mom got it worse when she'd stand up for us boys. I was closer ta mom than Merle ever was. He thought she didn't give a shit about us because she stayed with our old man, she 'let' him beat us is what Merle thought. My old man would use his fists, cigarettes, a belt, a wrench, a welding torch, hell anything that was close. I don't know how many times we were in the damn hospital. And, when mom died, I got it twice as bad 'cuz she wasn't around to get a hold of anymore. I was. Merle took off just as soon as he could, leavin' me behind ta fend for myself, not that he ever stood up for me anyway. 'Mom was too busy gettin' buried in a bottle of booze or smokin' like a damn chimney ta give a shit about us boys' and Merle never looked out for me. I think he was jealous really. Mom and I were always closer and she looked out for me more than she did for Merle. I was her youngest son, her pride and joy. I was the 'sweet one', the 'helpful one'. I'd always jump in to help her whenever I could. But, in some ways, I raised myself, even before she died. Merle was always lookin' out for Merle, doin' whatever it was that he wanted ta do. So, like Ana, I raised myself. Ana was the only friend I'd ever had 'til Merle and I found you guys outside of Atlanta. She was always there for me whenever shit went south. She was always there for me whenever I needed someone ta talk to. She'd just listen for hours when I had somethin' ta get off my chest. Or she'd just be there for me if I didn't feel like talkin'. She'd just sit with me and let me know that I wasn't alone, that she was there for me. You're lucky ya had a mom and an old man that looked out for ya, that cared about ya. Sure, you're life's been rough but it sure as hell could've been worse."

Carl nodded, once again shocked by what he'd just been told. He stared at Daryl, unable to imagine someone as strong and tough as Daryl going through all that as a child. He never would've guessed Daryl or Ana had been through the rough upbringing they had.

"What we told you doesn't leave this cell. Got it?" Daryl questioned, pointing at him and giving him a stern look, "This is a secret. It stays between the 3 of us."

Carl nodded hard. He wasn't going to tell a soul.

Ana reached out to wrap an arm around Carl's shoulders and lean down to press a kiss to the top of his head before ruffling his hair.

"You're a great kid, Carl. Period. So think before ya act from now on," she told him, "Follow your head AND your heart. I know it's hard but you'll learn when ta listen ta which one. Be smart. I know you can be. I know you ARE. Over time, you'll learn what's right and what's wrong. It won't always be black and white. Sometimes there will be gray areas. You just have to weigh your decisions heavily, think about them for a while before you make your final decision. Make the one you think is best for the majority of the group. Because things don't always revolve around one person. And selfish people will ALWAYS wind up alone. You remember that and you're gonna do JUST fine. And, if you ever want someone ta talk to, you can ALWAYS come ta me. I don't care whether you're mad or sad or scared or whatever. I'm ALWAYS here for you. And you can always run ideas by me and see what I think if you want. It never hurts ta ask for advice. Hell we all need it sometimes, sweetie."

He smiled up at her and nodded.

"And you can always talk ta your dad too," she reminded him, "He loves you more than you'll ever know, Carl. And it's not easy on him havin' ta raise you in a world that's…"

"Goin' ta shit," Daryl finished for her.

"Right," she agreed with a nod, "But he does the VERY best he can because he loves you. You remember that."

Carl gave another nod and Ana announced, "All right. Well, that's all I've got for ya, mini man. You're good ta go if you wanna."

He nodded and hurried out of the cell, hearing Daryl and Ana laugh behind him at his urgency to get out of the cell.

They'd CERTAINLY given him a LOT to think about.

The next morning, after the group had eaten their breakfast, Daryl told Ana, "I'll go with ya on the patrol."

It had become their custom. Daryl went with her on the morning patrol and Bella went with her before the sun went down.

But Carl was surprised when Ana replied, "Not this morning, Daryl. You can go with me tonight instead. I've got some things ta discuss with Carl and Rick."

Daryl opened his mouth to protest but Ana held a hand up for him to hear her out and his mouth closed again.

"You and I had a little discussion with Carl last night and now I think it's time Carl and I have a talk with Rick," she clarified.

Daryl sighed but nodded, clearly not happy that he wouldn't be getting to go with Ana.

Ana looked over to Rick, who nodded, and then to Carl, who gave her a little nod.

The 3 of them headed out of the building and Carl and his dad helped Ana give the horses fresh water. Ana saddled Gypsy up for Carl and held the mare's reins while he mounted up. Then she slipped the reins over the mare's head and neck to hand them to Carl.

Carl watched while his dad tried to saddle Buddy up. He'd already slid the bit of the bridle into the gelding's mouth and slid the bridle up his face, making sure the cheek straps were flat on either side of his face and the ear straps were in place. Then he set the saddle pad on his back and swung the saddle up onto his back.

But the gelding sucked in a bunch of air and puffed his belly out when Rick went to tighten the cinch under the chestnut-colored horse's tummy. Ana went over to pat the gelding on the stomach and he let out some of the air. So Rick walked him around in a few circles before tightening the cinch again.

"That saddle starts slippin' and ya let me know," Carl heard Ana tell his dad.

Rick just nodded and eased the reins back over the saddle horn, placing one hand on the saddle horn and swinging up into the saddle.

Finally, Ana had Midnight tacked up and she climbed up into the saddle. They nudged their horses in the sides and eased them into a walk.

"So what's this about?" Rick asked, "Did Carl do somethin'?"

"Actually," Ana informed him, "Daryl and I had a talk with him last night about him sneakin' out of the gate ta try ta come after us."

Carl stole a peek over at his dad to find him nodding his head.

"I had a nice, long conversation with him about it the night it happened. And I know Bella chewed his butt all the way back ta the prison. Beth told me she scolded him for it too," Rick stated, "And I know Liam did too."

Ana nodded this time and replied, "I wouldn't doubt it. But I found out a few things during our chat last night that I don't know if you're aware of yet, Rick. Your son told Daryl and I that he didn't simply go searchin' for us for his own selfish reasons. He told me that he went after us because he thought I was good for the group. He thought I kept the group safe and held them all together. He thought the group would fall apart without me here. He was looking out for the WHOLE group, Rick, not just himself. Now, I brought to his attention the fact that the group needed HIM too, that you and Beth and I would be very upset if anything ever happened to him. Rick, the boy's like you. He's thinkin' of himself last and puttin' the GROUP'S needs first, something only the GOOD leaders do. I just thought you should know that you're raisin' him up right. He's VERY mature for his age, VERY responsible. We ALL make mistakes. And that's what the choice he made the other day was, a MISTAKE. But he said, if he had it to do over again, he would've waited until I got back to talk to me instead. Now he knows that Daryl and I are okay, that I'm not leavin' the group, no matter WHAT. And he WILL think before he makes decisions from now on."

Carl watched as his father's eyes grew wider and wider and his brows hiked up his forehead.

"With you and Daryl ta teach him, Carl's gonna be one HELL of a fine man one of these days. He's already a great young man," Ana commented, making Carl grin from one ear to the other.

She went on to tell Rick that she'd teach Carl how to help out around the prison and look out for little Judith and the horses. She told him that Daryl had told her he'd work with the boy on improving his shooting skills as well as teach him how to use various weapons. He'd teach him how to track and hunt for the group. Of course, they'd only do those things with Rick's permission first. And, surprisingly, Carl's dad agreed, but only under the condition that Daryl taking him out of the prison grounds wouldn't happen until Rick knew he'd learned how to defend himself properly first. And, of course, they were to keep Rick updated on how the lessons were going.

When they returned to the cell block, Carl helped Ana and his dad remove the horses' tack and groom them out the best they could. He even helped Ana get the rocks out of their hooves. Then she showed him how to give them a shower with the hose and give them a "rub down" since they could only scratch the dirt off of them without shampoo or brushes for them.

After he'd finished helping with the horses, he headed into the cell block to look for Daryl. He had something he wanted to talk to Daryl about.

He found Daryl in his cell, cleaning his weapons.

"Can I help?" Carl asked him.

"Sure," Daryl said, glancing up at him and tossing him the extra rag.

He gestured to his hunting knife with a nod of his head and Carl carefully picked it up, setting down on the bed opposite from Daryl's and starting to clean the weapon as thoroughly but cautiously as possible.

"So how'd the patrol go?" Daryl questioned without looking up from cleaning his arrows.

"It went really well," Carl replied, "Ana told my dad that I'm mature and responsible and she said that you were gonna start teachin' me how ta use weapons and hunt and stuff. And she's gonna teach me how ta do chores around the prison and yard."

Daryl's brows rose but he nodded and said, "Good. Every man needs ta know how ta protect himself and look after his group. If you're gonna take over for your dad someday, you've gotta start learnin' now."

Carl nodded and stated, "I'm lookin' forward ta learnin' all that stuff. I wanna look out for the group like dad does, like you do."

Daryl chuckled and nodded to him, informing him, "It's not always easy."

"I know," Carl commented.

Daryl nodded again and returned his attention to his bow, wiping the rag over it.

"There's somethin' I wanna talk ta you about though," Carl told him.

Daryl glanced up at him and asked, "What's that?"

"Ana," Carl answered.

Daryl set the bow down on the bed beside him and looked over at Carl. He had his full attention now.

"What ABOUT Ana?" Daryl questioned.

"I don't want her ta leave the group," Carl said, "She CAN'T leave the group or they'll all fall apart."

"She told ya last night, Carl," Daryl reminded him, "She's not leavin'."

"You care about her a LOT more than ya act like ya do," Carl pointed out, "But you hurt her. You make her cry. I'm not sayin' I know anything about women. But I DON'T like seein' her hurting. She's a good woman, Daryl. Better than any woman I've ever known. She doesn't deserve ta be hurt. She likes you SO much. She LOVES you. But, if you're not gonna treat her right, my dad will. He might not look at her like a girlfriend yet but he will, with enough time, if you keep hurtin' her. I just wanna see her happy. I know she really cares about you. She talks about ya all the time and her whole face lights up when she sees ya. She's the closest thing I've got to a mom now. And she looks after this group better than any of the other women do. She looks after ME better than my own mom did. So I'm not just gonna sit back and keep quiet when I see you two fightin' or I see her cryin'. NO one can hurt her worse than you can, Daryl. Think about that a bit."

Carl set the knife down on Daryl's bed and headed out of the cell.

**-=Kyle=-**

A slow, sure smirk curled Kyle's lips as he headed out across the yard towards the watch shower, where Bella was standing at her post.

The raven-haired teenager had been giving him the slip since he'd showed up at the prison a couple days ago. She'd been playing hard to get, which only made the chase better. But he was going to up his game. He'd win her over, one way or another.

He took the stairs two at a time and walked over to lean against the wall that surrounded the watch tower, pressing his back to the hard surface.

She was leaning against the wall a few feet away from him, facing forward as her eyes scanned the clearing around the prison gate. So she was ignoring him.

"Well it's good ta see you too," he commented, "Thought I'd come keep ya company since I know how boring watch duty can be. Wouldn't want ya ta die of boredom, now would we?"

He saw her roll those dark brown eyes at him and said, "If you're a good girl, I might even bring your lunch out to ya."

She cast a glare in his direction before facing forward again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it MOVES!" he announced to no one in particular since no one else was outside of the cell block.

"You're annoying as hell, ya know that?" Bella inquired.

"Oh!" Kyle cried, "And it SPEAKS!"

She gave a little huff and held one hand up, her middle finger raised high.

He just chuckled and shook his head at her.

"Why don't you go be obnoxious somewhere else?" she suggested.

"NAAAAH!" he said, giving a downward wave of his hand to dismiss the idea, "Why would I wanna bug someone else when I can just annoy the shit outta you?"

"Maybe because you don't wanna die," she retorted, narrowing those dark eyes at him again.

"Ooo!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around himself and faking a shiver, "Well! If you're gonna kill me, do I at least get one last request?"

"No," she answered immediately.

He gave a dramatic pout and informed her, "Your loss. I was gonna ask if ya thought your sister would kiss me. She's hotter and MUCH nicer."

She shot him the fiercest glare he'd ever seen and pulled the knife from the sheath attached to her belt, starting towards him.

"Ooo!" he inquired, "You gonna cut my bra and panties off? Better watch it now. You'll make me wet."

She pressed the blade to the crotch of his jeans and he smirked at her as she applied a bit of pressure.

He laughed, forcing himself to remain still, and taunted, "Better watch it now. I like it rough."

She narrowed those eyes into little slits and gave a growl of frustration, backing away from him.

"You're a pain in the ass," Bella accused.

"I'd like ta sink my teeth into YOUR ass," Kyle purred, laying it on thick and letting a husky tone fill his voice.

"Ooo…" she growled angrily, "Go away!"

"No," he replied.

She flipped him off and turned her back to him, resting her arms against the wall that surrounded the look-out tower.

Kyle smirked to himself, walking up behind her to grip the wall on either side of her arms with his big hands, pressing himself against her to show her that he was growing hard for her. He ground against her ass and leaned down to nip at her cheek.

"Ya showin' me which finger ya want me ta slip inside ya?" he rumbled into her ear.

She brought the back of her head up into his face and he heard the sickening CRUNCH even as he backed up and brought a hand up to cradle his broken nose.

He smiled through the pain and the blood that was gushing out of his nose, nodding, and said, "That's okay. That's all right. You're just showin' me how much ya love me. I'll see ya around, Bella Boo. A little nose bleed can't keep me from my Hells Bells."

He gave her ass a harsh slap in retaliation, hearing the loud, satisfying SMACK and feeling his hand start to sting on impact.

He walked away with a smirk, heading for the kitchen to see if someone could reset his nose.

_**~*Steph*~**_

Steph was sitting on the kitchen counter, Liam leaning against it on his elbows as he stood beside her, when Kyle came into the kitchen. He had one hand pinching the bridge of his nose as he tipped his head back, the other held up under his nose as it gushed blood.

"What da 'ell 'appened, boyo?" Liam asked, waving him right over.

The newest member of the group came over to stand in front of the sink and Liam warned, "Dis is gonna 'urt."

Steph grit her teeth as she heard the SNAP and Kyle cursed, "SON of a BITCH!"

"Drip over da sink dare," Liam instructed, gesturing with a wave of his hand towards the sink, "Ya can rinse it out. Da floor would 'afta be washed if ya got blood on it."

Kyle held his face over the sink, easing his hand away. He reached out to turn on the faucet, washing the blood off of his hands.

"NOW ya gonna tell me what 'appened?" Liam questioned.

Kyle just smirked and stated, "All's fair in love and war, Liam, my man."

Steph's brows rose and she inquired incredulously, "PLEASE tell me you didn't hit on Ana? Daryl will KILL you!"

But Kyle just shook his head, exclaiming, "HELL no! I don't have THAT big of a death wish. I was hittin' on Bella."

"Well it looks like she 'it back," Liam joked.

"She's head over heels, can't ya tell? She LOVES me," Kyle said, placing a hand over his chest in a grand gesture.

"Yeah. Judgin' by yer face dare, Rocky, I'd say she loves ya about as much as da clap," Liam razzed.

Kyle just chuckled and nodded, heading for the door that led to the cells even as he stated, "Maybe so. But I'm workin' on it, 'boyo'."

Steph and Liam laughed heartily and Steph shook her head at the newest member of the group as he headed out the door.

"My money's on da 'ellcat. She's gonna tear 'im ta shreds," Liam commented.

Steph just nodded and told her boyfriend, "I wouldn't doubt it."

He hopped up on the counter to sit beside her, asking, "You 'ave a nice chat wit Ana while ya 'elped 'er fold da clodes?"

Steph nodded again, replying, "Yeah, I did."

"What'd ya talk about, love?" he questioned.

She giggled and answered, "Well, first she told me that she's gonna start teachin' Carl how ta help out around here. So I offered ta help her teach him how ta help with different chores. She's tryin' her best ta step up and be the leading lady of this group and I just don't think she should have to bear that burden by herself. I told her so too. So THAT veered off ta us talkin' about how Daryl's treatin' her. She says things are all right between the two of them now but I told her not ta hesitate if she ever needs ta talk about somethin'. So THEN she mentioned how she thought you and I were a real cute couple."

Liam chuckled and asked, "'S dat so?"

She nodded and replied, "The CUTEST couple."

"She didn't say dat," he said, pointing at her.

Steph giggled and shook her head, saying, "No. But she DID say she thought we were a cute couple."

Liam chuckled some more and shook his head at her in a teasing manner, joking, "You girlies gigglin' away and talkin' about us men be 'ind our backs. Ya oughta be ashamed. Da whole lot o' ya."

She stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her eyes and he gave a hearty laugh.

"Daryl said 'e wants me ta 'elp 'im get some stalls set up in da shower room so it'll give us all some more privacy while we're in dare," Liam stated.

Steph smiled at him and nodded, telling him, "That's real nice of you guys. I'm sure everyone would really appreciate the gesture."

Liam grinned and nodded in agreement.

"Looks like we're makin' friends 'ere, Stephie," Liam commented, "And I 'eard Rick make da comment dat we're really contributin' to da group. 'E told me 'imself dat 'e was glad we joined da group."

"Yeah?" Steph questioned, a grin stretching across her face.

"Yeah," Liam assured her, nodding even as he grinned too.

Steph helped Ana prepare lunch for the group that afternoon. Once again, the conversation wound up turning to Daryl.

"Carl told me he had a talk with Daryl today," Ana said as she gazed down at the can of green beans she was opening.

One look at the brunette told Steph that her new friend was nervous.

"What about?" she asked Ana.

"Me," Ana answered with a frown.

"Did Carl tell you what was said?" Steph inquired.

Ana shook her head and replied, "Not much of it, no. All he told me was that he told Daryl he didn't want me to be unhappy. He said that Rick could treat me better than Daryl was. Now I'm scared ta hear what Daryl's gonna say if he brings the subject up. I'm not interested in Rick like that. But Daryl's so damn sensitive. I don't wanna hurt him or upset him. But I don't know how to discuss the matter without rufflin' some of his feathers. I wanna know what all was said so that I can clear things up between BOTH of the boys."

Steph sighed and said, "Well Carl was worried about you, Ana. He doesn't wanna see you leave the group. And he doesn't wanna see you unhappy. He's lookin' out for you the best way he knows how. And him tellin' Daryl that Rick would treat you better than he does wasn't a brilliant move but I'd be willing ta bet that it was a scare tactic ta try ta get Daryl ta shape his ass up."

Ana giggled and nodded, telling her, "I'd never thought of that."

She smiled at Steph and Steph smiled right back.

"Thank you," Ana told her.

And Steph knew she meant it.

"You're welcome," Steph stated, "What are friends for?"

They grinned at each other again and Ana informed Steph, "It looks like I've got myself a wingwoman."

Steph laughed but nodded and commented, "I've never had a wingwoman before."

"Well ya do now," was Ana's response, "Your problems are my problems. It's us against the world, _chica._ Or… Well… What's LEFT of the world."

That only set them off again.

_**-=Glenn=-**_

Rick had gathered all the men together. So there they sat, gathered around the kitchen table. Daryl was leaning against the fridge. Rick had propped himself up against the doorframe between the kitchen and the cell block. Hershel was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs. Carl and Liam had hopped up on the counter. Kyle was leaning against the stove. And Glenn himself was leaning against the doorframe that led out of the building.

"So what's this about?" Daryl questioned, glancing over at Rick.

Glenn gave a single snort of laughter. Daryl never was one for beating around the bush.

"I was wondering what all of you thought I should do with Andrea?" Rick inquired, looking around the room at all of the men, "If you didn't already know, she clocked Ana the other day because she thought Ana was interested in me. Now I think it's safe ta say we all know that Ana's not attracted ta me. And there's nothin' goin' on between Andrea and me."

"So this is all because Andrea hit that girl?" Hershel asked.

"No," Rick answered, "We've had several other problems with her in the past. She was willing ta commit suicide when we were at the CDC. She put her own life, as well as the lives of others, in jeopardy after Dale convinced her not to end her own life. And I think park of me believes it was to spite him. But the other part of me doesn't think she's given up the desire ta die. You know she was the one that gave Beth that knife and left her unattended ta make her own decision about committing suicide after what happened there at the farm with all those walkers from the barn. That's why Maggie wouldn't let her back in the house. She supported Shane's calls instead of mine and even slept with Shane in the hopes that he'd leave the group and take her with him. What I'm tryin' ta say is this: she only thinks of herself and she can't be trusted. She's her own worst enemy and she's a danger to us all the longer she stays here. What should we do about it? I want this ta be a group decision."

"Well I, for one, would like ta give her a fuckin' bruise ta match the one she left on Ana's face," Daryl stated, "But Rick's right. The night she and I went out lookin' for Sophia in the woods after Rick went after her but couldn't find her that day, we ran onto a walker. The dumb somebitch hung himself when he was still human, leavin' a nice little note: 'Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quit.' The dumb bastard wasn't smart enough ta shoot himself in the head and he was a danglin' piñata for all the other geeks. They'd been eatin' away at the parts they could reach. She wanted me ta put it out of its misery. I wanted ta leave it there. It was a waste of a fuckin' arrow. But I told her fine. An arrow for an answer. I asked her if she still wanted out, if she still wanted ta off herself. She wouldn't answer for a while. When she finally did, she said she didn't know."

Glenn was surprised. He figured, after all the things their group had seen and had to do, that she would've given up the thoughts of suicide. But, apparently, that wasn't the case.

"If she's as big of a threat to the group as you boys say she is, why are we even discussing this right now?" Hershel inquired, "I understand that she's a human being but we all saw the devastation some of those prisoners brought to our group. We don't need another episode like that."

"Wait. What are we talkin' about here?" Glenn questioned, "KILLING her? I understand she's a threat ta the group and she shouldn't be a part of the group anymore. But that's murder and you KNOW how Dale would've felt about this."

"Dale's not here, Glenn," Daryl reminded him.

Glenn shot the Rick's second in command a harsh glare.

"This is murder. This isn't RIGHT," Glenn insisted.

"We don't hafta kill her," Rick said, shaking his head, "We can give her a bit of food, some water, a loaded gun, and take her out into the woods somewhere. We could blindfold her so she didn't know where she was, so she couldn't find her way back. At least then she'd have a fighting chance."

"You mean at least then we wouldn't be the ones to kill her," Glenn corrected him, "Not directly anyway."

"Why are you fightin' this?" Daryl questioned, "She let your girlfriend's little sister slit her fuckin' wrists! She would've bled out if Maggie hadn't gotten there in time! Or did you forget about that?"

Glenn sighed, shaking his head, and replied, "I'm not defending Andrea's actions. They're not justifiable, no matter HOW you look at it. But if we take her out there and dump her in no man's land, it's just the same as killin' her ourselves."

Rick started to pace back and forth across the kitchen, rubbing his thumb and index finger over the stubble on his cheeks and his chin.

"Majority rule," Rick finally said.

Glenn's jaw fell open and his eyes grew real wide. He couldn't believe Rick was even considering this!

Rick looked around the room at the men and informed them all, "I wouldn't even be suggestin' this if I had any other solutions. And I'm pretty sure we ALL agree that she's a risk to the whole group. If we don't do this now, there's no tellin' what she'll do later. And, if we don't deal with her now, we'll just hafta do it later. But we could lose some members of the group first. I'm tryin' ta take precautions here. I'm tryin' ta do what's best for the WHOLE group."

Glenn hung his head, not wanting to see the vote.

"All in favor?" Rick inquired.

Glenn kept both hands down at his sides, his eyes gazing down at the kitchen floor.

A couple moments later, Rick announced, "Daryl and I will have the women vote too. If their vote mirrors ours, Daryl, Carl, and I will take her out. You guys are free ta go. Thank you for your time and your votes."

_**~*Maggie*~**_

Maggie and most of the other women were gathered in Maggie and Glenn's cell. The only woman that wasn't with the group was Andrea, who just so HAPPENED to be the topic of their discussion.

Maggie and Beth were sitting beside each other on the top bunk, Glenn's bed, while Carol sat on the bottom bunk, cradling little Judith in her arms. Bella and Ana were leaning against opposite sides of the doorway of the cell and Steph was leaning against the wall across the cell from the bunk beds.

"She's gotta go," Maggie told the other women," She's a danger to this WHOLE group."

Beth was silent. She wasn't going to say anything on the topic. But Maggie hadn't forgotten the little stunt Andrea had pulled on the farm when she'd told Maggie she was going to watch her either. She'd NEVER forget the blonde bitch handing her baby sister a knife and leaving her unattended to make up her own mind about whether or not she was willing to commit suicide.

"She's a member of this group just the same as the rest of us," Carol spoke up.

"Yeah a member of the group that never helped any of us women cook or do laundry or wash the dishes," Maggie pointed out.

"She helped before Amy died. She was just as big of a help as the rest of us were," Carol said.

"Well she's a member of the group that gave my little sister a knife and left her unattended to make her own decision about whether or not she wanted to commit suicide. That was NOT Andrea's decision! Beth would've bled ta death if I hadn't have gone up ta check on her! Andrea told me she was going to watch her and then she left her by herself, knowing that she was mentally unstable at that point in time! Andrea HERSELF had wanted to commit suicide before, which I didn't know about. Just because she was talked out of it and she was bitter about not being able to do it herself doesn't mean that Beth should've been given the opportunity to kill herself. Just because Andrea didn't off herself doesn't mean that Beth had to be the one to do it for her!" Maggie vented.

Carol was silent and Beth just looked down at her hands while the other women looked away.

"And she backed Shane's decisions instead of your own group's leader's decisions," Maggie didn't hesitate to tell them, "You know what kind of calls Shane made. SHITTY ones! But she sided with Shane every time. Hell she even SLEPT with him and tried ta get him ta leave the group and take her with him!"

"Shane kept the group alive for a long time before Rick came into the picture," Carol stated.

"She told you that Sophia was dead before they ever found her!" Maggie pointed out, "What kind of heartless bitch says that to someone when they've lost their daughter?!"

"Sophia WAS dead," Carol reminded her.

"And she wants Ana and Bella gone," Maggie continued as if Carol had never spoken, "Ana saved Steph and Liam's life. She saved Kyle's life. She's done SO much for this group, more than Andrea ever did. Bella brought Carl back ta the prison when he left ta go lookin' for Ana and Daryl. Hell she hasn't been shy about voicin' her opinions about them. But what has she done for our group? OTHER than cause problems for everyone. She decked Ana in the FACE 'cause she thought Ana was interested in Rick, which we ALL know isn't true. And Andrea doesn't have any claim over Rick so what he does is none of her damn business anyway."

"She's gonna try ta get ta Rick like she did Shane," Bella stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "I've been watchin' her. She's not really interested in him. It's all a front she's puttin' on ta get into his head and try ta sway him ta her side with her on things involving her and the group."

Maggie didn't doubt it. Not for a SECOND. She didn't put ANYTHING past the unruly blonde. She was spiteful, conniving, and deceitful.

"Glenn said the men were having a meeting tonight," Maggie informed them all, "And he hasn't dealt out Andrea's punishment for deckin' Ana yet so the meeting might be about her."

"There's gonna be a big blowup amongst the group," Ana commented, making them all look over at her.

"Whaddya mean?" Bella questioned.

"I mean the group is gonna be at each other's throats," Ana replied.

"Why?" Steph asked her.

Ana just shrugged her shoulders and answered, "I don't know. I didn't get ta find out in the dream. My dreams don't give me EVERY detail. They're not always specific. But every little bit helps."

Maggie heard feet shuffling towards the cell and motioned for all the women to be quiet by pressing a finger to her lips.

Ana and Bella moved from their spots in the doorway of the cell and Rick and Daryl entered the cell.

"Ladies," Rick greeted them, looking around the cell and nodding to a few of them.

"We need your vote on somethin'," Daryl informed them, never one to beat around the bush.

"Is this about Andrea?" Carol questioned.

Daryl nodded and Carol stood, heading towards the doorway of the cell as she said, "I don't want any part of it. I don't wanna be involved in whatever decision you're about ta make."

"Me either…" Beth murmured quietly even as she climbed down from the top bunk.

"Your votes could sway the results," Rick commented.

"You're the leader," Carol replied, "You do what you have to. But I won't be held responsible for something I didn't vote for."

Both women headed out of the cell.

"Anybody else wanna leave?" Daryl asked, looking around the room at the women that remained.

They all shook their heads.

"What's this about?" Ana inquired.

"Rick's come up with a possible solution for dealing with our little 'Andrea problem'," Daryl started right in, "We blindfold her, take her out into the woods, and dump her with a loaded gun, a bottle of water, and some food."

"And what if she tries ta shoot one of you or the horses – since I'm assuming you'll be going on horseback? Then what?" Maggie questioned.

"Rick, Carl, and I are gonna take her out. She tries anything and she's dead. PERIOD," was Daryl's response.

Steph and Bella nodded.

But Maggie and Ana shook their heads.

"I don't like it," Maggie insisted.

"Rick, I know you want Carl to start gettin' more involved in the role of a group leader. I know you want him ta start being part of these votes and dealin' with problems for the group. But I think you need another adult ta go in his place. Let him stay here with Liam and help protect the group here. Tell him that's more important. It'll make him feel more responsible for something. It'll give him the role of a leader. And I'd fell a HELL of a lot better if you guys took Maggie, Bella, or me with you instead," Ana said, voicing her own opinion.

Maggie and Bella both nodded in agreement and Rick looked to Daryl, who nodded.

"I want Bella here. Carl will listen to her," Rick stated.

Bella gave him a nod and Maggie volunteered, "I'll go. If somethin' goes wrong and we're not back by nightfall, Ana can track the horses' hoof prints and find us. She can take Bella with her for backup."

"That makes sense. Daryl could find the way back to the prison and find Maggie and me if we get split up. Ana could find us if we're not back by dusk," Rick agreed.

Ana and Daryl both nodded.

"Is there anyone opposed to this idea?" Rick inquired.

They all shook their heads.

"Then it's settled," Daryl stated, his voice full of finality.

_**-=Daryl=-**_

After the vote was taken, the group dispersed, each of them heading to their own cells to settle in for the night.

When Daryl, Bella, and Ana reached Bella and Ana's cell, Bella headed right into the cell and Ana started in after her but Daryl reached out to gently wrap his hand around her wrist, giving a light tug.

She turned to face him, her hazel eyes full of confusion, and said, "I don't have to stay with you, Daryl. I thought I'd just stay in my own cell so no one says anything –,"

"Let 'em fuckin' talk," Daryl replied, slowly sliding his hand down from her wrist to her hand.

This was new for him, all of it. He wasn't used to being affectionate. He wasn't used to talking about his feelings or trying to explain his actions. But he didn't want to lose her. And Carl had made it VERY clear to him today just how hard it seemed that he was trying to push Ana away, that others were starting to notice and some of the other guys might start becoming interested in Ana if he didn't make a stand.

Daryl laced his fingers through Ana's, holding her small hand in his big one. Her eyes gazed down at their hands before slowly raising to meet his blue orbs.

"But –," she started.

"Change in here if you want. But you're sleepin' in my cell," he stated.

"Daryl, I thought…" she began but trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"I WANT you ta sleep in my cell, Ana," he informed her.

Her hazel eyes grew real wide and she gave him a slow nod. Seeing the look of pure surprise on her face made his chest tighten. She'd expected rejection and he HAD rejected her, time and time again, since she and Bella had arrived at the prison. But the realization that she'd never even considered that he might want her to stay in his cell cut deep. She didn't think he wanted her around. She thought he was embarrassed to be seen with her. And, after the way he'd snapped at her the other night, he could understand why she'd feel that way. He was starting to realize that she was just as sensitive as he was. Hell she had SO much in common with him. That's why they'd always gotten along so well as kids.

"We need ta talk about a few things," he told her, tugging gently on her hand and gesturing with a nod of his head in the direction of his own cell.

"Daryl, I don't wanna fight anymore," she murmured quietly as she lowered her gaze to the floor, her voice barely above a whisper.

And she'd been expecting a fight, which only made him feel worse. Did she really only expect fights and rejection from him?

He didn't like the idea of that. Not one bit.

"I don't wanna fight either," was his response, his words spoken softly, quietly.

She looked back up at him again and he gave another nod of his head towards his cell. She looked that way before looking at him and then back. After a couple minutes, she finally nodded and let him lead her in the direction of his cell, giving Bella a wave on the way.

Daryl led Ana to his cell and she started over to the bed opposite from his. But, again, he reached out to take her hand and give a slight little tug. She looked up at him and he shook his head.

"Not that one," he mumbled, "You can sleep on mine. With me."

Her brows rose and her eyes widened.

"Ana… Look, I'm sorry," he started to explain, "I know I've been an ass ta you lately, ever since you got back. I just… It was a real shock ta see you again after all those years. And then you told me how you felt about me and… It scared me shitless. NO one's ever liked me. NO one's ever loved me. I didn't know how ta deal with that. But I'm tryin'. And I know what I was doin' wasn't good enough. So I'll try harder –,"

She was quick to say, "Aw, Daryl, I never said that it wasn't good enough –,"

But he cut her off, stating, "You might not have said it but others have. And, seein' the way you reacted ta me invitin' you in here tonight… I couldn't have handled things any worse than I did, Ana. I blew up on you 'cause I was scared. I jumped everyone's asses when they started talkin' about the two of us bein' a couple 'cause I wasn't ready ta admit that we were yet. Ana, I'm not ashamed of you. I'm not embarrassed ta be seen with you. That's not it. That's not it at ALL. I just… I don't know the FIRST thing about this whole… 'couple' shit. I don't know what good boyfriends are supposed ta do but I know that I'm not one of 'em. I know that you deserve better. Hell I'll NEVER be good enough –,"

She shook her head hard, putting a finger to his lips.

"I don't EVER wanna hear you say that again," she whispered.

He didn't miss the intense look in her eyes.

"NEVER again," she insisted before she reached up to pull his head down, pressing her forehead to his.

She looked into his eyes as she confessed, "Daryl, I LOVE you. And I don't love you because you carry a crossbow. I don't love you because you have pretty eyes. I don't love you because you wear sleeveless shirts and old, holey jeans. I love all of those things about you. But I don't care what you wear or what you look like or what role you play in the group. I love you because of who you are, all you've helped me through. You were the ONE person that was always there for me, the ONE person I could always trust. You were the person I ran to when times got tough, when I needed a shoulder ta cry on. You made me laugh when I just wanted ta cry. You beat up the kids that bullied me in school. You taught me that being popular didn't mean shit. You were THERE for me. You really CARED about me. THAT'S why I love you. And no matter HOW hard you try ta push me away, it won't work. I know you were scared. I know you were tryin' ta sort everything out. That's why I'd planned ta start sleepin' in my and Bella's cell again. I figured I'd just give you your space and give you time ta sort through everything in your head, make your own decisions. Daryl, I wasn't givin' up on you. I'll NEVER give up on you. If you don't wanna be with me, then TELL me. Yeah, it'll hurt. But as long as I have you in my life, even as just a friend, I'll be all right. It's living WITHOUT you that I couldn't do, not now that I know you're still alive. I'm not goin' anywhere."

He couldn't help himself. He reached out to pull her into his arms, wrapping them tight around her tiny frame and hugging her fiercely. He heard the surprised little gasp she gave and felt her body tense at first. But then she relaxed, every muscle loosening again, and she brought her arms up around him. She hugged him just as tightly, clinging to him as if her very life depended on it, her forehead pressed to his chest.

She had NO idea how much her words meant to him. But the part that stood out to him the most was the last sentence she'd said. "I'm not goin' anywhere." It was so simple and yet it meant SO much. Everyone he'd ever cared about, everyone he'd thought he could trust, had left him. When she'd left when they were 16, he'd thought she was just like all the others in his life, just passing through. But, seeing her on the prison grounds the day she'd arrived, seeing the tears fill her eyes and hearing her rattle off their little motto from their childhood… He'd known that he was never letting her leave again. He couldn't. He wouldn't survive losing her a second time. And she'd hugged him with everything she had in her and cried when she'd seen him. So he knew that she felt the same way.

Daryl heard her give a noise that sounded like a sob and quickly pulled back, looking down at her. He was instantly on red alert as his eyes searched her face. But she tugged him right back into her arms, not willing to let him go yet.

"Ana, what's wrong?" he was quick to ask.

"I missed you…" she choked out, "I missed you SO, so much… I thought about you every day… I just… I never knew, you know? I didn't know you were still alive or I would've looked for you… I would've searched the fuckin' WORLD for you, Daryl… I worried about you all the time… wonderin' where you were… if you were all right… if you were hungry or scared or hurt… It drove me fuckin' crazy not knowin'… I'd see somethin' or hear somethin' that would remind me of you and it was like a knife piercing my heart… The only two things that kept me goin' were knowin' that I had ta keep fightin' for Bella and knowin' that I had ta know, one way or another, if you were out there… And I can't put it into words… I can't explain ta you what it meant ta me when I saw you standing in the prison yard…"

He felt the sobs wracking her body, her shoulders shaking and her breaths catching in her throat as she cried. He didn't know what to say. There weren't words for how much he'd missed her.

"I can't… I don't know how ta describe what life was like without you, Ana… There aren't words for it. You pretty much said it all, every bit of it was true," he finally said.

She turned her head to rest the side of her face against his chest and gave a little sniffle, reaching up to wipe her eyes.

"Sorry. I fuckin' leaked AGAIN," she apologized.

He gave a little chuckle and reassured her, "It's fine. It's been a couple days since this shirt was washed anyway."

She giggled and nuzzled her cheek against his chest over the wet material of his shirt.

"Mmm… You're so comfy and warm…" she practically purred.

"And you must be tired," he replied.

She gave a little hum and then a yawn before asking, "What gave you that impression?"

He chuckled again and slowly eased away from her, telling her, "Let's get ta bed."

She nodded and followed him over to the bed, kicking off her shoes and tugging off her t-shirt to reveal a cami. She started to reach for her belt but then dropped her hands.

"It's all right," Daryl assured her, "Go ahead and take 'em off if ya want. Get comfy. You'll need the rest and ya won't be able ta sleep if you're not comfortable."

She nodded but didn't meet his eyes as she unbuckled her belt, popped the button on her jeans, and slid the zipper down. She shimmied out of her jeans and climbed onto his bed, scooting over to take the side against the wall and tugging the sheet up over her. She reached under the sheet to yank off her socks and fling them onto the pile of clothes too.

"Okay. I'm good. Bra, cami, and panties," she informed him.

He nodded and started popping the buttons on his shirt. He didn't miss the way her jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide. But he continued his way down the shirt. He slid the material off his shoulders and down his arms before starting on his jeans. When he was down to just his boxers, he climbed into bed beside her. She turned to face the wall and he curled up behind her, draping an arm around her waist.

"It's okay, Daryl," Ana reassured him, "Really. You don't hafta cuddle if you don't want to."

"You're my woman," he stated in a tone that challenged her to argue with him, "And any man that gives two shits about his woman holds her at night."

He didn't miss the smile that tugged at her lips. She rolled over to face him and smiled at him, making a smile stretch across his face.

"Roll over onto your back," she told him, "I'LL cuddle up ta YOU. That way it's not quite as awkward for you. You don't even hafta wrap an arm around me that way. I can just cuddle right up ta you."

He nodded and rolled over so that he was lying on his back. She curled right up into his side, resting her head on his chest, and he draped an arm over her waist.

"Goodnight…" she whispered into the dark cell.

"Night," he whispered back, pressing a kiss to the top of her head even as he felt her press her hand to the arm he had around her waist, holding it in place and letting him know that she didn't want him to move it.

"I love you…" she said, so quietly he almost missed it.

"You taught me how ta love," he whispered into the night, "You're the only one I've ever truly loved. Now that I know what it is that I feel, I can tell you that. I couldn't even say that for Merle or ma."

Again, she smiled. And that made HIM smile.

_**-=Rick=-**_

Rick woke up the next morning. He went to the bathroom and headed out to the kitchen to wash his hands. He headed back to his and Carl's cell to ease Judith out of her make-shift crib.

He carried his daughter into the kitchen and opened up the cabinet that the group stored all her baby supplies in. His eyes scanned the contents of the cabinet, giving a sigh and bringing his empty hand up to run it down his face. One can of formula, a case of baby wipes, and two small packs of diapers. That was all that was left. They'd have to make a supply run. Maybe they could scrounge up some more bottles too. They'd been using the only two they had over and over.

"What's the matter?" Rick heard Daryl ask from somewhere behind him.

"She's gettin' low on baby supplies," Rick informed him.

"We'll make a run," Daryl said.

Rick nodded and saw Ana approaching him out of the corner of his eye, reaching out to gently ease his daughter out of his arms.

"Hey, Jude," she crooned softly, "You gonna let Aunt Ana watch ya while your daddy makes ya a bottle?"

The baby clutched at her shirt and snuggled up close, burying her little face into Ana's neck, and Rick started to prepare a bottle for her.

"I wanna talk ta Kyle and Liam," Rick stated, "See where they picked their supplies up. I wanna get a group together and take one of the vehicles. We can hit the places they did and check out the ones Ana and Bella found all their supplies at. If we hit all those places as a group and take as much stuff as we can, we shouldn't hafta make another trip for a while."

"Who are you thinkin' about takin' with ya?" Daryl questioned.

"I want Bella, Carl, Maggie, Glenn, and Steph ta stay here and watch over Beth, Judith, Hershel, Andrea, and Carol," Rick answered, "They've all had target practice. The group's learning how to improve their shot so I think they'll be okay. We can leave some weapons for them."

"And Liam?" Daryl inquired.

"I'd rather he stayed with the group too," Rick replied, "I debated about whether ta ask him ta come along with us or stay here. But I'd feel safer if more of the group stayed here, where it's safe, to look out for each other. I'll ask him to get directions to the town he and Steph went through before they got ta the prison."

"So you, me, Ana, and Kyle?" Daryl asked.

Rick nodded his head, screwing the cap onto the bottle he'd been making for Judith and setting it into the microwave to heat it.

When the rest of the group had come out into the kitchen, Ana, Maggie, and Steph started fixing breakfast. Usually Carol helped Ana but Maggie and Steph had offered to relieve her of cooking duty. Daryl was feeding Judith her bottle while Rick got everyone's attention.

"I noticed while I was gettin' Judith's bottle this morning that we're runnin' low on baby supplies. I've run the idea by Daryl and he agrees that we need ta go out on a supply run. We've already discussed who's gonna go on the supply run and who's gonna stay here at the prison when we go. Daryl, Ana, Kyle, and I are gonna take one of the vehicles and head outside the gates. The rest of you are gonna stay here and look out for each other. I'd feel better if there were plenty of you here to ensure your safety in numbers, just in case something SHOULD happen. We're gonna look up the places Ana and Bella, Steph and Liam, and Kyle hit before they made it to the prison. We'll see just how much stuff we can take so that we won't hafta make another supply run again for a while."

"So what? The rest of us just stay here and twiddle our damn thumbs?" Andrea questioned, "Four people isn't very many to take outside the gates. Shouldn't we split the group in half or something?"

"I want some of those with good aim and better skill with the weapons ta stay here and protect the prison just in case something should happen to find its way to the prison," Rick informed the group, "You've all been working on your aim and learning how to use guns and other weapons. By having the majority of the group stay here at the prison, I'm trying to make sure that you guys will all be safe. I'll give Carl the keys to the cell block so that he can lock you guys in here like we've done before. Then you only have to worry about keeping the cell block itself secure if something should happen. If we don't happen to come back, then I'll at least know that all of you will be safe. I know Shane used to take you out with him to protect the group and go on supply runs, Andrea, but I'd rather you stay here with the rest of the group."

"This is because I hit that little bitch, isn't it?" Andrea asked, pointing over at Ana.

Ana's jaw clenched and she glared at Andrea.

Daryl pointed at Andrea and warned, "You'd better watch your fuckin' mouth, bitch."

But Rick remained calm, shaking his head and replying, "No. It isn't. I still haven't dealt out your punishment for that yet. We'll get to that later. Like I said, I want to ensure your safety, as well as the safety of the other members of this group. So you're staying here. End of the story."

Andrea gave a huff and Ana and Maggie served everyone's food as Steph dished it up. Ana poured drinks for everyone and passed them out.

"Liam, I need ta talk ta you and get the directions to the town you and Steph passed through before coming to the prison," Rick hinted.

Liam nodded and headed over to talk to the group leader in private, talking in low tones away from the rest of the group.

After Liam had given him the directions, Rick told the Irish man, "I'm leaving you in charge, you and Carl. But your call goes before Carl's. You're older and wiser. You've survived for 6 months out there with just you and your girlfriend. You've kept the two of you alive and the two of you have jumped right in to help the rest of the group out around here. So you're in charge. I trust you before any of the other members of the group around here. You keep my people safe. You do whatever you have to ta make sure they're all alive when I get back."

Liam nodded to him and clapped Rick on the shoulder, replying, "I'll do me damnedest, Rick. Dis group is da closest fuckin' ting Steph and I 'ave ta a family after all dis shite broke out. I don't wanna fuck dat up. If shite DOES go sout, I promise you dat I'll do me BEST ta protect da group. You 'ave me word, Rick."

Rick nodded to him and stated, "You're a good man, Liam."

Liam grinned at him and winked, teasing, "Well not ALWAYS. But I sure try."

Rick chuckled and nodded, calling the group's attention again.

"All right!" he cried, making them all look at him, "I've made my decision. Liam's in charge while I'm gone. ALL of you will do whatever he says. No questions asked. Carl is second in command while I'm gone. Liam, Steph, Bella, Glenn, Maggie, and Carl, you keep this place locked down. I mean it. No exceptions. You lock ALL the doors that lead to the cell block when we're gone. I'm gonna leave the keys with Carl. He knows which ones go to what doors now. I want all of you to band together, look out for each other, keep each other safe. We'll be back before night falls."

Everyone in the group nodded, though Rick didn't miss the more-that-a-little unsatisfactory look on Andrea's face.

Rick pulled the keys to the prison out of his pocket and handed them over to his son, who took them, looking up at him and nodding. Rick leaned down to press a kiss to the top of his son's head and gave him a nod.

"You keep them safe," Rick said quietly, "This is the only family we have. And they're your responsibility when I'm gone."

Again, Carl nodded.

"We're gonna leave half of the weapons here with you guys, enough for all of you to have one. Daryl's gonna go sort things out right now so that you all have a weapon you're familiar with to keep here while we're gone. We're gonna take the others with us. We'll bring back everything we can, food, ammo, more weapons, baby supplies for Judith. I just need to know that you're gonna take care of things here for me while I'm out there," Rick commented.

Carl nodded a third time and reassured him, "I will, dad. You don't hafta worry. Liam and I will keep everyone in line. We'll protect the group. You can count on me."

Rick nodded and gave a big smile, giving his son's shoulder a light squeeze.

"I knew I could," he told him.

Rick ushered the group to the cell block after they'd all finished eating and Daryl passed out weapons to everyone, making sure to remind them how to use the weapons – that the safety had to be off of the guns before they could be fired, the knives had been sharpened yesterday, the pokers were to be used to smash into the side of a walker's head to stun them before they used the weapon to stab them in the head. He reminded them that, no matter what weapon was used, they ALWAYS had to go for the brain because ONLY damaging the brain would kill them. Carl locked all the doors that led to Cell Block C except for one, which he quickly closed and locked behind him and Liam.

Liam and Carl followed Daryl, Ana, Kyle, and Rick out to the vehicle, assuring Rick and the rest of the small group that was going out for a supply run that they would keep the group safe. They would all be fine while the group was gone. After Rick and the other 3 had piled into an SUV, his son and the Irish man headed back into the prison. Rick drove down the gravel path towards the gate and Kyle hopped out to open and close the gate behind them before hopping back into the vehicle. Rick wanted to hit the town Liam and Steph had come through before arriving at the prison first since Liam had said there were no walkers there while they raided a store. Then they'd make it to the town Ana and Bella had hit. Finally, they'd check out the spots Kyle had raided.

_**~*Andrea*~**_

Andrea looked both ways before jogging down the empty hall of the prison. She was headed for the gate. She'd managed to sneak out before Carl had locked one of the doors to the cell block. Rick clearly didn't trust her anymore if he wasn't going to let her go out with the others on a supply run. Hell even SHANE had trusted her. But, if Rick didn't trust her, there wasn't a chance in hell that she could win him over and get close to him. Her plan to seduce him and convince him to see things her way would never work. He'd already turned her down when she tried coming onto him and he was being as cautious as he could with her. So that left her with only one option. To leave the group.

Andrea wouldn't miss anyone. She didn't consider any of the members of the group to be her friends. Carol was only alive because everyone had saved her ass up to this point. Carl was just a spoiled rotten brat. Liam would never be interested in her because he was too damn wrapped up in his little blonde bitch. Hershel was a gimp. Beth was weak. Daryl wasn't interested in her because of that stupid bitch that had joined the group and he was just some stupid redneck anyway. Bella had it out for her and Ana was just biding her time in the hopes that Rick would kick Andrea out of the group. She didn't like Steph since Steph never saw things her way. Maggie and Glenn would only side with each other and Rick. Glenn didn't have the balls to ever become a leader and Maggie hated her anyway. And the newcomer of the group, Kyle, was too damn busy chasing after Bella and trying to win her over to give a shit about her. So that left her with no other options. She HAD to leave the group. It was their fault, not hers.

Andrea made it out of the building and ran towards the gate, looking this way and that, her pale, green eyes always checking her surroundings. She couldn't get caught or she'd get into even worse trouble than she was sure she already was.

When she made it to the gate, she shot the lock open, thankful that Rick had put a silencer on all the guns, and tossed it to the ground. She tugged the gate open just far enough for her to slip out and ran across the clearing. A slow, sure grin stretched clear across her face as the realization hit her.

The walkers would now be able to infiltrate the prison since she had shot the lock instead of locking it behind her. She'd left the gate part-way open and they could shuffle right into the yard. It served them all right! They should've been kinder to her. They should've seen her potential. But, now, they would all die. And she'd find a way to survive out in the woods. If that stupid redneck could do it, by damn, so could she!

**Well you know the drill by now. Press that magic button down there and let me know what you're thinkin'. Lots of love to all of you that are faithful readers and I honestly can't wait to hear from you. Love ya!**

**Libby**


	9. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

I'd like to take the time out of my busy schedule to fill you all in on a few little things. First of all, I'm a senior in college. I have 3 separate 3 1/2 hour classes once a week and one that I have twice a week that lasts an hour and 40 minutes. Those classes are all 300 and 400 level classes that come with PLENTY of reading and writing homework. I spend time on homework just about every day. My schedule is busy and hectic. But I DO enjoy writing in my free time. And I tend to write every free minute I get because I never know how crazy the next week is going to get or how often I'll be able to write in the future as the semester progresses.

However, that being said, there are some other things I'd like to inform you. Quite frankly, I spend 3 days working on a chapter for any given story I write. I spend every bit of free time I have during those 3 days gathering ideas for the chapter, writing the chapter, and revising the chapter as I reread it. It takes on a total transformation from the first draft of it to the final draft it reaches when it's ready to be posted. I spend 3 days of my time working my ASS off to make sure that I post something good for all of you, something that's not total horseshit. I would never want to post something that I wouldn't want to read myself.

I've posted author's notes in each of my chapters but I think they've been quite unheeded, just like this one probably will be once people discover that it's just an author's note and not a chapter. But let me tell you something. Nothing pisses me off more than people that won't even take 5 minutes out to tell me what they think about something I take all the time and effort and pour my heart out into to breathe life into it. Each chapter is like my baby. I nurture it and get it ready to send out into the world and hope to hell that someone will appreciate it. We all have personal lives. We all get busy from time to time. I UNDERSTAND that. I'm a senior in college for fuck's sake! But I don't think it's too much to ask for you to take 5 minutes out of your schedule to shoot me a quick message or write me a review. I don't care if you loved the story or you hated it. I still want to know your thoughts. There's NOTHING more helpful to a writer than your honest feedback. The more detailed the review, the better. Tell me what you liked. Tell me what you DIDN'T like. Anything helps.

So, from now on, until the latest chapter of each of my stories gets 10 reviews, I'm not going to be posting another one. I'll still write in my free time. But I won't post unless they reach that goal. See, something you fail to realize is that I post because I want to share my work. I don't HAVE to post my writing. I could be a selfish bitch and keep it all to myself. But I don't. Instead, I post it to share with others that have the same taste in movies or shows as I do. But, from now on, if this story, and all my others, don't get 10 reviews, I'm not posting the next chapter, whether it's done or not. Those stories that get reviews faster will be getting prioritized to work on them before the others. I don't care if it takes months to reach that 10 review mark, that's how long you'll wait if I don't get my reviews. Call me a bitch. Call me insensitive. Call me whatever you want. But that's how I feel and now you know it. So I'd highly recommend that you start reviewing if you haven't already done so because that wasn't just a threat. It was a thromise – a threat AND a promise.

Sincerely,

One Pissed-Off and Under-Appreciated Writer


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